By Sandra Chouthi

Special to Indo Caribbean World
Port-of-Spain – As chairman of the Police Service Commission, Nizam Mohammed last month placed his impartiality in question when he raised the issue about the ethnic composition of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force. Mohammed's statements cost him dearly. On Monday President Maxwell Richards issued a statement indicating that Mohammed's appointment as head of the PSC had been revoked.
As PSC head, Mohammed's role was based on maintaining the independence of the police force from political control. It is a position authorised by the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, and gives direction over appointments, promotions, transfers and discipline in the force. Mohamed is a former Speaker of the House of Parliament.
In a meeting on March 25 with the Municipal and Service Commissions Joint Select Committee in Parliament, Mohammed declared that the ability of the police to win the support of the population in the war against crime is being hampered by the perception of ethnic imbalance within the force.
"You get the impression that we are not sufficiently mature to look at this. You cannot hope to win the confidence of the public for the police. You cannot hope to revive or restore the confidence of the public in the Police Service if you do not have a properly structured police service," Mohammed declared.
Erroneously stating that East Indians make up almost half of Trinidad and Tobago's 1.3 million population (it is actually 40 percent, with Afro-Trinidadians at 37.5 percent), he added: "You are asking them to support the Police Service. They have to provide the Police Service with information. They have to feel protected by the Police Service when they see the hierarchy of the Police Service."
Mohammed said he was intent on fully addressing the issue, noting there were no police officers of East Indian descent from the ranks of commissioner to senior superintendent.
He said there were 21 superintendents of African descent and ten of East Indian descent in the 7,000-plus TTPS.
Since Mohammed made those statements, there have been calls from every sector of society — from the Opposition benches to the public — for him to resign. This is not the first time there have been calls for Mohammed's resignation.
Last December Mohammed got into hot water when he allegedly disobeyed instruction from two police officers at the corner of Henry Street and Independence Square in Port-of-Spain.
Woman Police Constable Marlene Gittens and Police Constable Sean Batson were on duty when they instructed Mohammed to proceed east along Independence Square.
Mohammed said he wanted to turn north onto Henry Street. His office as chairman of the PSC is located on Queen Street, which is accessible from Henry Street. However, the officers advised Mohammed to drive east.
Gittens said Mohammed ignored her instruction and continued driving onto Henry Street. Both officers pursued Mohammed's vehicle, which had slowed in traffic. They ordered him to pull over and requested his driver's permit and insurance.
Mohammed produced the documents, then reportedly rolled up the window of his SUV and made a call on his cellphone. He then handed the phone to WPC Gittens saying "the Commissioner" was on the phone and wanted to speak to her.
Gittens told Mohammed she could not take the call as she was on traffic duty.
Gittens and Batson, in their report to Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs, said Mohammed should be charged with failing to comply with a lawful instruction and causing an unnecessary obstruction.
The incident caused a furore. Mohammed has refused to resign despite repeated calls for his resignation.
A non-governmental organisation calling itself Fixing TT later placed full-page ads in the newspapers calling for him to step down as PSC chairman.
Mohammed, speaking before JSC last week, said he felt "seriously threatened" by the group's actions. "The reality is that there are elements who would like to make Trinidad and Tobago ungovernable," Mohammed said.
In the latest episode Mohammed does not appear to have much support.
Assistant Commissioner Fitzroy Fredericks on March 26 said he was "annoyed and hurt" over Mohammed's statements. The chairman was "false and out of place" when he said there were too many officers of African descent on the executive of the Police Service compared to East Indians, Fredericks said.
"This is the second time someone in high office has targeted African people within the executive of the Police Service for absolutely no reason, and we are not taking these matters lightly. The Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan, did it last year and we are not going to work until these issues are dealt with because it seemed they are trying to fan the flames of race and divide the Police Service, and we will not stand idly by and allow it to happen. I want my fellow executive officers to rally around me and let's deal with this issue head on," Fredericks said.
Also, PSC Commissioners Kenneth Parker, Martin George, and Jacqueline Cheeseman distanced themselves from Mohammed's statements.
Taking a similar position was Anand Ramesar, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association. Mohammed claimed Ramesar had requested a review of the ethnic composition of the police promotion advisory board.
However, Ramesar said he never raised the issue regarding the ethnic composition of the TTPS, but had instead called for ethnic equilibrium on the board.
Among those calling for Mohammed's resignation are Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, Joseph Toney, chairman of the Congress of the People, and Dana Seetahal, senior counsel and newly-elected president of the Law Association. Even Israel Khan, also a senior counsel, who was Mohammed's lawyer following the traffic incident, has said Mohammed should consider resigning.
Persad-Bissessar, whose office categorically condemned Mohammed's statements, described the statements as reckless, senseless, and divisive.
The Prime Minister said only President Maxwell Richards can act to remove Mohammed as chairman. President Richards is presently seeking legal advice.
Seetahal, who said she was speaking in her private capacity, said Mohammed was not fit to chair the PSC. She said the new 2006 regulation restricts the PSC's function to appointments of the Police Commissioner and his deputies.
"Nothing in that includes any prerogative to address any issue of bias in terms of the persons or an imbalance in terms of the persons who are appointed to the hierarchy of the Police Service," Seetahal said.