Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has slammed the People’s National Movement (PNM), accusing the Opposition-controlled Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC) of stopping construction of a joint army-police post in Tacarigua yesterday.In response, Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles criticised the Prime Minister, and said she was advised the construction works which commenced at the Eddie Hart Grounds were undertaken by a “private contractor without the approval of the engineer of the Tunapuna Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC)”.
‘No consultation with tprc’: A still image from a video clip shows contractors at work yesterday on the construction of the foundation for an army-police post at the Eddie Hart Savannah in Tacarigua before it was stopped by officials from the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation.
TPRC chairman Josiah Austin told the Express that no information about the construction was given to the corporation.They had a discussion with the workers, who then left the site.On Monday, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would establish 30 joint army-police posts as part of an expanded national security strategy aimed at increasing the visibility of the protective services and reclaiming communities from criminal elements.Persad-Bissessar said the initiative responded to long-standing calls from residents for a greater security presence in their communities, and reflected the Government’s commitment to tackling crime through closer collaboration among the country’s protective services.Yesterday, construction workers went to the Eddie Hart Grounds, Tacarigua, to begin laying the foundation for the installation of the joint army-police unit.Persad-Bissessar, in a statement issued via social media, claimed the PNM was behind the work being stopped.She stated, “Today the PNM wickedly sent their TPRC representatives to chase away workers constructing the Eddie Hart police post. Today the PNM showed their hatred to the citizens of Tunapuna when through their representatives at the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation stopped the construction of the new police post at Eddie Hart Grounds.”She added, “The PNM sent their representatives with a member of the TPRC municipal police to threaten and chase workers who started construction. This is a most evil and vile act committed by the PNM party that has no problem with drug blocks in Tunapuna but is fighting against a police post. The PNM must stop doing the bidding of the local drug mafia and start putting citizens safety first.”The Express contacted Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, who said he received a briefing on what transpired.He said he was informed that workers went to the site and began work when, around 1.30 p.m., representatives of the TPRC arrived, accompanied by a police officer, and indicated that they had not been informed about the planned works.The minister said the workers opted not to engage and instead left the site, proceeding to the Grand Bazaar location where they began work on the army-police post there.Alexander said he was in a Cabinet meeting at the time the incident occurred.He said construction will continue at the location today.Alexander, the MP for Tunapuna, said there was overwhelming support for the unit in Tunapuna and across Trinidad and Tobago.He said construction of foundation sites for the posts had already been completed in Tarouba, and the joint army-police units will be rolled out within days.Alexander again criticised the Opposition for being obstructionist to anti-crime initiatives, saying the issue that occurred at the Eddie Hart Grounds could have been prevented.‘No one above the law’In a statement last evening, Beckles questioned how the TPRC could have known about the contractor.“As a former minister responsible for planning, I am deeply concerned that the Prime Minister appears to believe that structures can be erected on public property without adherence to the established legal and administrative procedures. Further, she lacks respect for the Municipal Corporation. By these developments it seems as though Tunapuna was an afterthought,” she stated.She continued, “I am aware of no public consultation or approval process for this project. I am further concerned that these works appear to have commenced without any consultation with the Council of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, the municipal corporation with jurisdiction over the space.”She said the Prime Minister must immediately place in the public domain all documents relating to this project, including:• the date on which the decision was made to construct this facility at Eddie Hart Savannah• the date on which the contract for the construction was awarded• the procurement process that was followed and the identity of the contractor• the total cost of the project and the source of the funding• the date on which approval was granted by the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, if such approval exists.“No one is above the law, including the Prime Minister. The rule of law requires that every citizen, every contractor, and every government follows the same procedures,” Beckles stated.“Serious questions also arise regarding public safety. Was the construction site properly secured?”
