Larry Lalla, SC, is questioning why the T&T Police Service (TTPS) did not have the intelligence to warn that attorney Randall Hector’s life was in danger.
His question came after the assassination of Hector on New Year’s eve while the country was already under a State of Emergency, a crime which Lalla said highlights a failure of leadership within TTPS).
“This commissioner has demonstrated no capacity to effectively use the extraordinary powers granted under the State of Emergency,” Lalla declared in a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
“Tuesday’s joint press conference was embarrassing—she (Erla Harewood-Christopher) stumbled through a prepared statement, failing to inspire any confidence that she can lead the fight against gang violence.”
Hector, a special prosecutor who was reportedly involved in a case against a reputed gangster, was gunned down after he left the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Stanmore Avenue, Port-of-Spain. He was killed in front of his wife and children and other members of the church who were nearby.
Hector was also the legal adviser to the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) which underwent a very public shake-up last year.
“If the State of Emergency is truly targeting gangs, then their movements and communications should be under constant surveillance. How, then, was there no intelligence warning that Mr Hector’s life was in danger?” Lalla asked.
Expressing sympathy for Hector’s family, Lalla said, “It’s difficult to ring in the new year with thoughts of this tragedy. My heart aches for his wife and children, who will carry this pain for the rest of their lives. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.”
Lalla urged the Government to act decisively, even if it meant terminating Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher’s contract.
“The safety of our citizens must come before the ego of any public officer. The Government must immediately assess whether changes are needed at the top of the TTPS, or we risk losing control of gangland murders altogether.”
He also called on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to take responsibility for the current state of affairs.
“This State of Emergency was his decision. He must now lead from the front and ensure that the TTPS has the leadership it needs to protect the people.”
—Rhondor Dowlat
