The police search of the office of the Police Service Social and Welfare Association has been described as mischief by officers and attributed by them to the association’s stance against the buy-out of vacation leave of First Division officers.
During an interview with radio station i95.5 FM yesterday, president of the association Insp Anand Ramesar said the association was being targeted because of its objection to the proposal.
“There is a lot of pressure placed against the executive and this is a clear case of a conspiracy against the association by the executive, especially since we have taken a stance against the (acting) Commissioner (of Police)’s efforts to buy out the vacation leave of senior officers. We are not going to stand by.
We are talking to our lawyers in this particular matter.
The commissioner has questions to answer,” Ramesar said.
Ramesar’s claims, however, have been rejected by the Police Service which stated in a media release yesterday that on the advice of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, officers of the Fraud Squad were investigating claims of misconduct against Ramesar and now suspended general secretary Insp Michael Seales.
The Police Service described Ramesar’s comments as “disingenuous and highly unfortunate.”
The allegations relate to claims that officials of the association received money from certain members to secure houses on their behalf through the Housing Development Corporation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime and Support, Glen Hackett, assigned the investigations to Head of the Fraud Squad, Senior Superintendent Tootaram Dookie.
On Thursday, police officers searched the premises of the association.