And that inter-gang rivalry is why the UDP Shadow Minister of National Security says the Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa was not justified in declaring a State of Emergency for the Martin's area.
And that's the real reason why Compol Chester called the press to the Raccoon Street police station today - to have a go at his former Minister. Yesterday, Peyrefitte lavishly criticized the police command for critical mis-steps in pushing for a state of emergency, and in mis-interpreting the events around Alrick Smith's murder. Peyrefitte also alleged that the Compol interceded personally to cover for a corporal who may have been remotely involved with the crime - because that said corporal drives for a PUP bigwig. Indeed, he wove an interesting web of suspicious connections.
Well, Chester lashed back today, and cut through the cobwebs with a Compol's cutlass:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I don't know who is feeding my former boss with the degree of nonsense that he continues to spew. I trust and hope that he is not paying whoever his police source is for that information, because certainly, they are surely nothing but nonsense and if he is paying the police for the information, then the money should be used to pay the employees of WAVE (Radio). That way we won't have Kenny Morgan ranting and waving on social media. I can tell you that in
the wake of the murder of Alrick Smith, we had received information that the vehicle that was involved in the murder was parked at a particular house in the Japan area of Ladyville. Based on information obtained I directed that the police go to the house and retrieve the vehicle as well as whoever is the occupants of the home. Police visited the area; no vehicle was there. The house was seen with no one inside. I ordered that a surveillance team be put in place to ascertain who lives at the house. Because the policeman that they were saying lived at that particular house, we know for a fact that he does not live there, he lives miles and miles away and we also know for a fact that his parents also do not live there. They live much more down the road. Now what we also learnt is that the police officer in question that they were alleging lives at the house, he did live at the house over four years ago he moved out of that house and now resides with his wife miles and miles away. So it made no sense for them to have sent of the officer to detain him just for the sake of naming and shaming and that is why I stood down the police from that detention."
Jules Vasquez
"So, when this Corporal is picked up for you've made it plain no good reason. Is it his boss that you received a call from, his boss being a senior official in the government saying "eh, dem di pik up mi driver, please this is unjust, please get him out.""
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"To be honest with you Jules, I don't even know if the person for whom he drive was aware. I made that call on my own because I had the information. I was the one who was given the information. I had the information."
Reporter
"When the chairman of the UDP frames his comment, he is alluding to some connection as well with the government official, would you say so?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"What I like about the chairman of the UDP is that he seems to be very confident with what he is saying and I dare him to call the names and he is a lawyer, he knows better. If he calls the names, he'll be slap with a lawsuit. Let him call the names."
