(Trinidad Express) Top level talks surrounding the contracts of Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and Deputy Commissioner Jack Ewatski were in progress up to late last night at the Prime Minister’s residence in St Ann’s, a senior government source confirmed last night.
Just before 3.30 p.m., National Security Minister Jack Warner was seen entering the compound, followed by a convoy of black Toyota SUVs assigned to the Attorney General’s office.
The source said Acting Attorney General Ganga Singh and head of the Police Service Commission Prof Ramesh Deosaran also attended the private meeting.
The Express learned that Deputy Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams was also in the meeting.
The Express also learned that both contracts were discussed at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting and deferred to a more private meeting yesterday.
Warner has been publicly critical of Gibbs’s initiatives, especially the 21st Century Policing plan, which Warner has often described as being imported wholesale from Edmonton, Canada.
Gibbs has been the focus of criticism from top Government officials, including Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, ever since he was appointed to the post two years ago.
Since his appointment as National Security Minister on June 22, Warner has publicly criticised Gibbs’s initiatives and announced several initiatives of his own to combat the escalating homicide rate.
The Public Service Commission, which has the jurisdiction of appraising the performance of the Commissioner and his deputies, also stated in a recent letter to Warner that the data to support the effectiveness of the 21st Century Policing Initiative had not been supplied by the Commissioner.
At press time last night, the meeting was still in progress, and repeated efforts to contact Warner and the other officials who attended the meeting for comment were futile.
