Senior Reporter
Commissioner of Police (CoP) Allister Guevarro did not breach protocol when he left the jurisdiction last week.
In fact, senior Government officials have confirmed that the top cop applied to the Police Service Commission (PolSC) for emergency leave and was granted permission to leave the country. However, officials have refused to say when Guevarro left and when he is due to return.
And while public debate continues over his absence, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Administration, Junior Benjamin has denied suggestions the TTPS is “leaderless” at this time.
While Benjamin is not in receipt of an instrument of appointment as the acting CoP, he has assumed the role until Guevarro returns.
Guardian Media learned Benjamin yesterday carried out duties, which included a tour of the new police post at the Eddie Hart Recreation Ground in Tacarigua, and also signed off on documents.
Contacted yesterday, Benjamin acknowledged Guevarro’s absence but declined to share any further information on what necessitated his sudden departure, especially during the ongoing State of Emergency (SoE).
Nevertheless, Benjamin urged all officers and the public not to be distracted by the suggestion the commissioner erred or acted outside the law when he left the country.
“The TTPS has not lost sight of what it has to do and we will continue to carry out our mandate,” Benjamin said.
Seeking to dismiss claims that Guevarro had acted outside of legal parameters when he left the country, one official said he followed protocol by applying to the PolSC for leave.
However, following this, officials explained, next move would have been for the PolSC to submit a recommendation for an acting appointment to the President, who would have forwarded it to the Parliament, where it would have been debated and then decided upon. As Parliament is currently in recess, the officials said, this could not be done, hence the reason why Benjamin, as the next most senior officer in the TTPS, assumed the role.
Guevarro’s return.
All calls and messages to Guevarro, as well as PolSC chairman Dr Wendell Wallace went unanswered up to press time.
