T&T corruption, extortion cases involving 12 cops dismissed?

T&T corruption, extortion cases involving 12 cops collapse

In a media release yesterday, the PCA noted that the dismissal of the two cases led to the discharge of 12 police officers this week due to a lack of evidence and the absence of police prosecutors. The PCA highlighted that there were no prosecution witnesses and no evidence presented by the police in court. These high-profile and serious criminal matters were initially handled by the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB).
The PCA said the dismissals follow numerous referrals for disciplinary action and repeated advice given by the authority to the commissioners of police over the past 13 years.

President of the Assembly of Southern Lawyers, Saira Lakhan, believes the TTPS should impose disciplinary actions on police officers who fail to attend court without a valid reason, leading to the dismissal of criminal cases. Lakhan said such incidents undermine public trust in the justice system and compromise efforts to ensure accountability and justice for all. She added that it also erodes confidence in the TTPS.

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How is it possible to charge twelve police officers and then have the DPP not appear, leading to the cases being dismissed?

Why T&T ?

CoP reviews report on dismissal of charges against 7 officers amid public outcry

On Monday, Master Sarah De Silva dismissed charges against the officers, citing prosecutorial failures, including the absence of witnesses, missing evidence, and non-compliance with court procedures. The officers had been charged in April 2023 following allegations of corruption against a Sangre Grande businessman during an operation targeting illegal gambling establishments.

A viral video purportedly showing officers seizing cash during the operation had sparked public outcry, but defence attorneys argued the investigation was incomplete and lacked substantive evidence.

Defence attorney Ulric Skerrit, representing one of the officers, sharply criticised the handling of the case, describing the outcome as inevitable. “Nothing was disclosed to the defence or the court. Until the police get their act together, these dismissals will continue,” Skerrit said.

12 police officers’ cases thrown out
PCA launches enquiry

ON THE heels of this week’s dismissal of two sets of cases involving police officers, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has launched an enquiry into what happened.

In a statement yesterday, the PCA said a total of 12 officers were reportedly discharged because the rules of court procedure were not followed as there were no prosecution witnesses and evidence was not produced by the police to the court.The cases the PCA was referring to were one of extortion which allegedly occurred in Sangre Grande in 2023, and the other reportedly involved a businessman in which officers were charged with accepting a $30,000 bribe to halt a prosecution.

Seven officers were charged in the extortion case while five were charged in the bribery case.