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Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher FIRED Day After Arrest

Commissioner of Police, Erla Harewood-Christopher, has been removed from active duty.

The Police Service Commission (PolSC) dismissed Harewood-Christopher the day after she was arrested and wrote to the President, Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo O.R.T.T, to appoint Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Junior Benjamin, as her replacement.

In a letter to Kangaloo, which the President received on Friday (31st January, 2025), the PolSC said that it directed Harewood-Christopher to “cease to report for duty and cease to discharge the duties of Commissioner of Police.”

At the time, Harewood-Christopher had already been arrested and detained at the St. Clair Police Station for questioning over the granting of an import licence to secure military-grade equipment for the Security Services Agency (SSA).

The PolSC, which is chaired by Criminologist Dr. Wendell Wallace, said its decision was as a result of the ongoing investigation into misbehaviour in public office.

In its letter, it recommended that Benjamin be appointed to act as Commissioner of Police and Curt Simon be appointed as Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police. Benjamin is at the top of the PolSC’s Order of Merit list for Senior Police Officers eligible to act as Commissioner.

The day the letter reached the President, she wrote to Parliament informing them of the matter to be debated. In a Notice posted last night (Sunday 2nd February, 2025), Parliament announced that the two (2) notifications, for Benjamin and Simon, will be debated on Wednesday (5th February, 2025).

Harewood-Christopher was released without charges on Saturday (1st February, 2025), the day after the Notice was sent. At the St. Clair Police Station, minutes after her release, Harewood-Christopher’s lawyer, Pamela Elder, SC, was questioned on whether her client would resume duties as COP. “That will have to be discussed. We have to put pen to paper,” Elder told the media.

However, at that time, Elder would have been aware of the PolSC’s Notice to her client.

According to ‘The Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police 1175 (Selection Process) (No. 2) Order 2021’ under the Constitution, “Where– (a) the Commissioner of Police is or is likely to be– (i) absent from Trinidad and Tobago; (ii) on vacation leave; or (iii) unable by reason of illness or any other reason to perform the functions of the Commissioner of Police; or (b) the office of the Commissioner of Police is or is likely to become vacant, the Commission shall select the most Senior Officer on the Order of Merit List and submit that Officer’s name to the President in accordance with the procedure set out in section 123 of the Constitution.”

Meanwhile, in a brief interview with Guardian Media on Sunday (2nd February, 2025), Deputy Commissioner of Police, Suzette Martin, issued a special appeal to the public, “To refrain from sensationalising the matter and spreading misinformation and speculation.”

She assured, “The TTPS will continue the investigation in the most transparent, accountable and impartial manner as we have been doing all along.”

Martin confirmed the investigation continues with officials working diligently.

The TTPS also said in a Media Release that the investigations into Harewood-Christopher and former Director of the SSA, Roger Best, remain ongoing.

More on this as it becomes available.

​[Source: CNC3] 

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