AG wants police chief to take over anti corruption bureau

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan issued a strongly worded statement Saturday in which he declared that that he wants nothing to do with the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB).

Ramlogan said he wants Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs to assume “full control” for this unit of the Police Service.

“In the absence of some immediate change in the strategic direction and focus of the ACIB, the AG intends to ask the Commissioner of Police to assume full control for this unit of the police service,” Ramlogan said.

“It is in dire need of strong leadership and re-structuring and thus far, the diplomatic pleas of the AG to the police hierarchy have fallen on deaf ears,” he added.

Ramlogan’s latest position results from Thursday's raid at Newsday’s offices.

The AG again distanced himself from the “sudden, unexplained dramatic execution" of the search warrant and made it clear that while the ACIB is listed under the portfolio of the Attorney General, he has no jurisdiction over it.

“The office of the AG functions as the administrative conduit for a number of independent bodies, including the Office of the DPP, the ACIB and the Judiciary. He therefore has, and exercises, no direct control or influence over the ACIB,” the AG pointed out.

Ramlogan noted that head of the ACIB, Superintendent Solomon Koon Koon, has confirmed that the ACIB is a unit of the Police Service under the jurisdiction and control of the Commissioner of Police and does not report to the AG.

The unit was placed under the office of the AG by former AG Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj.

Ramlogan said the Office of the AG has always treated the ACIB as an independent body, and has always adopted an “arms length” approach to it.

The AG, who said he didn't have any prior knowledge about Thursday's raid, has not been imporessed with the Bureau.

“The ACIB has failed to make any or any meaningful progress on a number of high-profile corruption investigations under the previous administration, including the Reverend Juliana Pena Church in Guanapo Heights, Calder Hart, TTEC street lighting programme, the Landate matter in Tobago, HDC and the URP,” he said.

“The AG finds this sudden unusual burst of energy and enthusiasm from the ACIB on a fresh complaint to be quite odd, in light of the number of outstanding complaints that appear to be receiving little or no attention over the last few years. In the circumstances, the AG considers the continued retention of the ACIB under his portfolio to be an embarrassment,” Ramlogan added.