Prakash Ramadhar said he is disappointed that Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs did not respond to an appeal from him to give an account for the police action.
He said COP will lade a formal complaint on Monday.
"The chairman, vice-chairman and I will go to the offices of the PCA to formally lodge a complaint on the police's conduct in the matter and request a full investigation to ascertain why there was a need for the issuance of a search warrant and the manner in which the search was conducted," Ramadhar said.
"A reporter's computer was seized and now sources are exposed that may not have been connected with the ongoing investigation," he said. "To interfere with media sources is to fire an arrow into the heart of free press."
Ramadhar also stated that COP will be continuing its efforts to get a consensus for Constitutional reform. The first meeting on that is scheduled for February 27 at COP's Operations Centre.
He said discussions would centre on political term limits, fixed election dates, right of recall, and relations between Tobago and Trinidad.
Ramadhar said now the party will add a discussion on the freedom of the press, which is a constitutional right, under Chapter 1, Section 4 (f).
"Our suggestion is that there should be no issue of search warrants to search any press house or reporter connected to work of the reporter or press unless signed by a high court judge at the very least.
"There is a crying need for a new constitution to not only say there should be freedom of the press, but what machinery can be put in place to ensure that it is protected. To have a structure that speaks to a right without provisions to protect or enforce that right is useless," he said.
He said COP will lade a formal complaint on Monday.
"The chairman, vice-chairman and I will go to the offices of the PCA to formally lodge a complaint on the police's conduct in the matter and request a full investigation to ascertain why there was a need for the issuance of a search warrant and the manner in which the search was conducted," Ramadhar said.
"A reporter's computer was seized and now sources are exposed that may not have been connected with the ongoing investigation," he said. "To interfere with media sources is to fire an arrow into the heart of free press."
Ramadhar also stated that COP will be continuing its efforts to get a consensus for Constitutional reform. The first meeting on that is scheduled for February 27 at COP's Operations Centre.
He said discussions would centre on political term limits, fixed election dates, right of recall, and relations between Tobago and Trinidad.
Ramadhar said now the party will add a discussion on the freedom of the press, which is a constitutional right, under Chapter 1, Section 4 (f).
"Our suggestion is that there should be no issue of search warrants to search any press house or reporter connected to work of the reporter or press unless signed by a high court judge at the very least.
"There is a crying need for a new constitution to not only say there should be freedom of the press, but what machinery can be put in place to ensure that it is protected. To have a structure that speaks to a right without provisions to protect or enforce that right is useless," he said.
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