Former police commissioner Gary Griffith has written to the Police Service Commission (PolSC), requesting a probe of information he’s received from sources concerning an alleged “plot” to investigate him and a “clandestine” police unit doing so.
He also claimed that as CoP, he was directed to “personally investigate and target the Opposition Leader and three other political opponents of Government, with hope to have them arrested.”
Griffith’s letter was dated September 15. He sent similar requests to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Professional Standards Bureau and Police Complaints Authority.
He said he’d received reports from “reliable and credible sources within and outside the TTPS,” and is seeking assistance to have the matter thoroughly investigated.
Griffith claimed the reports “involve direct interference” by Government politicians to influence certain TTPS officers, “with bribes of escalated promotion if they do whatever they can to ensure that I am arrested.”
He claimed the reason for this was the need by “certain politicians and a very senior police officer to have me arrested, to be used as the avenue to prevent me from being eligible for consideration for the merit list process for Police Commissioner and by the time bogus charges are dropped, the damage would have already been done.”
Concern about the “plot” was based on if some of the information was true.
He alleged the “plot” includes:
• Government hand picking three sets of citizens–whose record he queried–to “investigate legal firearms being issued.”
• Names selected by PolSC to conduct initial investigations/audit into firearms of the TTPS were given by Government officials. “If accurate, this too can lead to misbehaviour in office,” he said.
• A “clandestine unnamed unit,” which “reliable sources in TTPS” told him about and which was appointed to see if anything can be found to have Griffith arrested.
• Funds deposited into TTPS account to be used solely to target political opponents. Griffith claimed he was given $45 million in the TTPS’ account and told it was to be used specifically to hire certain foreign attorneys, without tender, to target cases involving Government’s political opponents. He claimed he was directed to “personally investigate and target the Opposition Leader and three other political opponents of the Government, with hope to have them arrested.”
• “Reliably informed” the acting CoP is bypassing the PSB head and “deliberately liaising with a junior constable” to ensure investigations on him expedited.
“If true this is highly inappropriate and also can be linked to the plot to have me arrested,” he said.
• Also “informed” the junior officer met with a very senior Government minister at the Diplomatic Centre.
• “Informed” of politicians offering senior police officers to be given substantive posts if they succeed in getting him arrested. “If true and such an offer was made those politicians have yet again broken the law,” he added.
Senior police and Government officials didn’t reply to calls on the allegations yesterday.