Police have contacted several former Peoples’ Partnership ministers for interviews up to last Wednesday, and also met with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in their probe of witness -tampering allegations made against former attorney general Anand Ramlogan by Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West.
These developments were confirmed by PP officials last week.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Harold Phillip, who heads the probe, yesterday confirmed other movements on the matter including meetings with the DPP last week.
The “witness-tampering” investigation, now apparently heightening, was instituted by Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams in January 2015. This, after West’s allegation, made at the time, against Ramlogan of an “attempt to pervert the course of justice”.
West alleged Ramlogan “asked” him to withdraw as a witness in a matter involving then opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley. Ramlogan has strongly denied this . Less than a week after the issue broke in 2015, former PP prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar revoked the appointments of Ramlogan as well as then national security minister Gary Griffith. Griffith gave a statement supporting West’s claim. It was alleged Griffith on Ramlogan’s advice telephoned West to query whether West had withdrawn his statement. (SEE BOX)
Since the 2015 probe started, at least six former PP ministers were contacted by police, including over the past month and up to last week.
Some former ministers and other people have been interviewed more than once.
Acting CoP Williams ordered the probe after being visited by West, who presented a signed statement with the allegation against Ramlogan. Yesterday, DCP Phillip said, “We’re continuing to interview and re-interview people and we’ve been meeting with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter, including up to last week gone.
“We’re working towards completing this at the earliest convenience...very certainly, this year,” he added, when asked if the two-year probe was close to completion.
“We’ve been working on it continuously since 2015 and it’s taken a little time as we have to source external assistance of service providers to deal with phone records and other research. But considerable work has been done.” The DPP guides how police should proceed in a matter.
PRESSURE ON POLICE
—MOONILAL
At the start of the probe, Griffith gave several statements to police and was interviewed.
Griffith had also alleged he was “pressured” by Cabinet colleagues—including Vasant Bharath—not to support West’s complaint.
Bharath and others categorically denied this.
Among those interviewed last year were Bharath and Errol Mc Leod, The Guardian confirmed.
Since the start of 2017, several other ex-PP ministers were contacted.
This includes Bharath who was re-contacted by police just over ten days ago. An official source said Bharath was informed police were “still investigating” the matter and he was asked about certain periods and if he was in the PP cabinet then
Ex-minister Ramadhar was contacted by police on Wednesday, it was confirmed last Friday.
It was the first time Ramadhar was contacted on the matter.
Sources said police very recently contacted former minister Suruj Rambachan for an interview also. Rambachan indicated he was available once an attorney was present on his behalf, the Guardian was told on Thursday After last Friday’s Parliament session, UNC MP Roodal Moonilal also confirmed he was contacted two weeks ago. He said he'd speak to police “...with my lawyer, Israel Khan. I’m always prepared to co-operate with law enforcement".
Moonilal added, “But I believe there’s a lot of pressure on the police to prosecute matters allegedly involving former (PP) ministers and the last former prime minister. However, I don’t sense there’s a lot of pressure on police to contain the murder rate or increase the crime detection rate. I don’t sense the PNM Government is truly interested in reducing those flaming issues—but I think there’s interest in persecuting and prosecuting former PP ministers.
“They’ve told supporters, they don’t need roads, drains or social welfare—but they need to jail UNC members. So that will pay for groceries when a PNMite goes to the supermarket. "PNM’s problem is they’re spending all their time counting ‘roti’ rather than counting the days for THA Nomination Day.”
Former Express reporter Anika Gumbs, who broke the story, was also interviewed by police two weeks ago, on January 5. A Newsday report stated she was interviewed for “almost four hours”.
She was reported to have given police “recordings of a telephone conversation” she had with people involved in the allegations and a “top PNM official, before she broke the story.” The recordings were played for police. Griffith and other ex-PP ministers have declined comment.
FLASHBACK
•Ramlogan denied allegations that he asked West to withdraw his (West’s) witness statement in a defamation lawsuit Ramlogan had against then opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley. The latter is now Prime Minister.
• The lawsuit concerned comments about the controversial Section 34 issue and extradition proceedings involving businessmen Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson.
• It was alleged Ramlogan “promised” West he would be appointed PCA director if he withdrew from the defamation matter.
• Ramlogan reportedly said he’d only become aware of West filing a witness statement in the matter when it was given to his attorneys in December 2014.
He said he could not have approached West in the way it was alleged since it was the President who appoints a PCA head.
•West said his recollection of what transpired was "diametrically opposed to” Ramlogan’s denial that he ever approached him.
•West said he reported the matter to the Police Commissioner.
•Then legal affairs minister Prakash Ramadhar attempted to speak with West on the allegations.
•West said the PCA was an independent body, didn’t report to a minister, and it would have been inappropriate to meet Ramadhar.
• Within a week of the issue, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar sought the resignations of both Ramlogan and Gary Griffith.
• She said it was alleged Griffith, on Ramlogan’s advice, telephoned West to query whether West had withdrawn a statement, the alleged incident forms part of the police enquiry and Griffith confirmed he made the call.
• Persad-Bissessar said she’d read the statements from both as well as West’s reported statements and found facts conflicted.
• She expressed concern about West (for a “compromised” PCA post resulting from the situation) and then opposition leader Rowley (for not reporting the claims when consultation on West’s nomination for PCA head arose).