Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the police’s handling of the disappearance of two-year-old Angelo Tobias Plaza, saying he expected a much better response from investigators.Augustine told the Express yesterday that, in his opinion, the matter was not properly managed from the outset.“This case was not properly managed from the get-go. I am not satisfied with how the (T&T Police Service) managed this case. I feel as though justice is not being served, I feel as though justice is still delayed,” Augustine said during an interview at the Shaw Park Complex in Scarborough.

STILL NOT FOUND: Angelo Tobias Plaza

He emphasised that the first 48 hours after the child was reported missing were critical to the investigation.“The first perhaps 48 hours or so of this entire case was just not handled well in my opinion. I will not go into greater details because I don’t want it to be seen as though a public official is eroding confidence in the TTPS but certainly I expect better, I certainly expect better,” he said.Augustine said he also spoke from the perspective of a parent, saying it was difficult for him to comprehend the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the child and the time it took for the parents to be questioned by police.“How do you lose a two-year-old in such an awfully spectacular manner is beyond me and it is beyond me what a two-year-old could do an adult...I don’t understand why we did not much earlier call the parents to account for the child. That’s beyond me,” he said.The Chief Secretary said he understood the frustration and anger being expressed by the public over the investigation.“This is a two-year-old, a two-year-old is not like a $100 from your wallet that goes missing, it’s not your car keys. This is a whole human being that cannot give account for and Tobago and Tobagonians have every right to be dissatisfied, to be incensed, in how this entire case was managed,” he stated.He said the matter should serve as a lesson for the TTPS moving forward. “There are some lessons to be learnt by the TTPS in this case on how they perhaps should not manage a case of this nature because we do expect better from the TTPS.”Angelo’s stepfather, 24-year-old Shannon Miller, has been charged with the child’s murder.Angelo was reported missing from his Goodwood, Tobago home on May 11.The child’s mother, Kalifah Tobias, along with five other individuals who were previously held in connection with the investigation, have since been released without charge.Police open to meeting AugustineAssistant Commissioner of Police Rishi Singh said yesterday he remained open to engagement with Augustine in relation to his concerns about the investigation into the disappearance of Angelo.Singh said: “I am open for engagement with the Chief Secretary as I am with any citizen for the improvements to our service delivery. I am sure we will engage to foster mutually beneficial development of the professional output our offices are responsible for.”Singh said officers acted professionally in their investigation.“I know that when children are victims of crimes it rocks the core of right-thinking individuals, institutions and communities. Despite the emotions involved the police must maintain a very professional outlook. We function in an environment where we must honour the constitutional rights and privileges of all we are in contact with.”Singh said there was the presumption of innocence, right to private and family life, and there had to be evidence to act.“The processes of our engagements involve a progression of evidential development to cross the hurdles which we are required to. Our job carries with it great public interest and rightfully so. We account to the public through the Courts of the land.”He said the delivery of justice in the matter was not to be undermined. “It will be irresponsible of us to put out all our information to the public before the scrutiny of the Courts. This is likely to undermine the delivery of justice,” Singh said, adding that he respected the opinion of the Chief Secretary as he had supported the TTPS in the searching for Angelo since the first moment the report of the missing child came to the attention of police.