FOR THE next two days, starting tomorrow, Trinidad and Tobago will be gripped in what it boastfully markets as the "greatest (cultural) show on earth" — its annual carnival. Brazil would be amused, satisfied that such a claim belongs to its world famous 'Rio Carnival'.

But what's really of relevance today is that Carnival 2012 — that undoubtedly very creative and competitive annual cultural show in that most cosmopolitan of Caribbean societies — has been preceded by weeks of a 'political carnival' with the nation's police force involved in 'ole mas' behavour with sections of leading local media by storming editorial offices in evident abuse of their powers.

While they were being condemned for such perceived Gestapo-like tactics in violating the privacy of newsrooms, seizing documents and, in one case, carrying off a senior reporter's computer, the country's head of state, President Maxwell Richards, was provoking unflattering headlines with his involvement in an escalating controversy relating to the suspension of the deputy chairperson of the Integrity Commission.

As this column was being written, citizens were frantically rushing to gas stations in view of a looming strike by the powerful Oilfield Workers Union (OWTU), which is locked in a pay-hike dispute with the state-owned National Petroleum Company, and worried by a warning from the union president (Ancel Roget) to the workers to: "Forget carnival. We will have a longer carnival. We will have a longer carnival. You will get to play mas another time..."

The company has dismissed the threat and gave the assurance of alternative arrangements being in place to avoid any serious dislocation. The army was showing a high profile in their protection of the company's assets.

Police/media showdown

However, even before the tense industrial relations development, many pertinent questions were being raised for more than this past week, but with no official answers surfacing on two very troubling, bizarre developments — one that strikes at the heart of press freedom; the other involving the integrity and independence of the Integrity Commission.

In the mix are the country's leading media enterprise Caribbean Communications Network (CCN), a major newspaper Newsday; Police Commissioner Dwane Gibbs; the police Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB); President Maxwell; the deputy chairman of the Integrity Commission, Gladys Gafoor; and, to a lesser extent, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communication.

As bizarre as it may seem to independent observers at home and abroad familiar with governance in Trinidad and Tobago as a democratic state committed to the rule of law, press freedom and the independence of vital institutions, the police have become involved in questionable raids of doubtful authority, first on the premises of CCN's TV-6 offices last December and less than two weeks ago, the editorial offices of Newsday.

The police raid on TV-6 was based on the claim of searching for materials relating to the screening of the rape of a 13-year-old schoolgirl on the station's Crime Watch programme last October 6.

Then came the recent swoop on Newsday that was as intimidating as that on TV-6, with a claim to unearth "information" allegedly leaked from the Integrity Commission and pertaining to its deputy chairperson, Gafoor.

A very rushed move by President Richards to announce the establishment of an official probe into the circumstances surrounding Gafoor's controversial suspension was to have the effect, in the public domain, of dropping fuel on fire.

The bad timing was to coincide with a still raging debate over the seemingly unprofessional, if not rude, letter to the board of directors of CCN from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) seeking an "interview" about that controversial airing of the Crime Watch programme.

Pertinent Questions

As if to add insult to injury, the letter requesting the interview with the CCN's directors was signed by a low-level police officer, an acting assistant superintendent with the CID. Worse, the signatory (Ajith Persad) happened to have been on the police team that had stormed their way into the TV-6 newsroom last year.

Was that simply an error of judgement on the part of the top command of the police force, presided over by Commissioner Gibbs (recruited from Canada), or was it another arrogant demonstration of the abuse of police power? Commissioner Gibbs was still holding his public silence amid spreading media criticisms and from the parliamentary Opposition.

Condemnation has also separately come from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has called on Commissioner Gibbs for an explanation.

For his part, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has moved to distance himself from having any "control" over the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau, leaving a puzzled public to worry over 'what next' with these cops? Hopefully, we will hear more after tomorrow's weekly Cabinet meeting.

While public concerns spread, President Richards was to find himself on the firing end of criticisms for his rush to judgement in the matter of Gafoor's suspension as deputy chair of the Integrity Commission.

The president has been criticised for alluding vaguely to "certain conduct" to justify his decision to mount an inquiry into why Gafoor has been suspended — even before the probe begins. Matters have further been complicated by media reports that the president's statement on Gafoor and the Integrity Commission was released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communication. An official explanation is being awaited.

Of 'Leaks' and 'Silence'

As the week was drawing to a close, the scenarios remained confusing with, for instance, lingering silence (hopefully not inaction as well) from Commissioner Gibbs on those police raids; who authorised an acting assistant supt of police to write a letter seeking an interview with the directors of CCN; and why is Gladys Gafoor being subjected to an apparent public trial over yet to be verified claims about "leaks" of "confidential information".

The unverified claims are also related to alleged differences between Gafoor and chairman of the Integrity Commission — former media mogul Ken Gordon. When the Carnival is over and Ash Wednesday is past, will an explanatory statement from President Maxwell on the Integrity Commission fiasco be forthcoming?

Even more urgent is for Police Commissioner Gibbs to break his silence on those outrageous police raids on the CCN and Newsday offices — unprecedented actions that pose serious threat to press freedom.

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  11 comments

  5 comments

  0 comments

  23 comments

  0 comments

  2 comments

  5 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  1 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  1 comments