(Trinidad Express) Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher has ordered an investigation into allegations that “senior Government officials” are involved in human trafficking.
A media release issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service yesterday stated that the top cop met with the Director of the Counter-Trafficking Unit, and has appointed a special team of officers to investigate the matter.
“These allegations of human trafficking are serious, and will not be taken lightly,” Harewood-Christopher said, in giving the assurance the matter will be vigorously pursued and thoroughly investigated.
Controversy erupted at the Parliament sitting last Friday after Opposition MP Rodney Charles said the United States’ July 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report stated that T&T maintains its position on the Tier 2 Watchlist in part because it did not take action against “senior government officials alleged in 2020 to be involved in human trafficking”.
In response, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said they did hear the allegation and, when investigated, found the report was referring to current Members of Parliament but who are not on the People’s National Movement (PNM) benches.
The matter escalated over the weekend, with Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar saying the report was not referring to Opposition officials. She stated: “Can Keith Rowley be so kind as to tell the country which member of the Opposition UNC is currently a senior official in his Government?
“The report also clearly states that the government did not take action on the allegations. There is no one in our country who would believe the Rowley PNM Government would take no action if the alleged officials were UNC. Clearly PNM officials are the ones involved.”
The contentious paragraph of the report states: “Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action, and the government did not take action against senior government officials alleged in 2020 to be involved in human trafficking.”
With the Prime Minister pointing fingers at the UNC, and the Opposition Leader hitting back that the perpetrators are in the PNM, United States Ambassa-dor to Trinidad and Tobago Candace Bond, in an interview with the Express, explained that “senior Government officials” means anyone in the Government’s employ—therefore, perpetrators can sit on either the Opposition or Government bench.
She explained “senior Government officials” as referred to in the US Depart-ment of State Trafficking in Persons 2022 report are employees on the Government’s payroll who are accountable to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Bond told the Express this week that human trafficking is a priority issue for US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as the US Embassy in T&T.
In the interview at the embassy’s office at Briar Place, Port of Spain, Bond said: “When the United States discusses in its report Government officials, essentially that means anyone who works for the Government and is accountable to the people.
“So that’s elected officials. It could be someone who works for the Government, such as myself.”
She said anyone who is in the Government’s employ and who has a position of authority is a Government official. “This is really about who is accountable to the people and that is what we mean by ‘Government’,” she added.
