Reports Confirm Rowley Regime’s Failure in War against Gangs
Revelations in the print media on Sunday further confirm that the failed Rowley regime has been grossly negligent in dealing with the scourge of gang warfare.
One report exposes the fact that the government has been sitting on a shocking 2014 study, and has continued to feed alleged gangsters by providing them with lucrative taxpayer-funded contracts.
In contrast, the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration had taken decisive and far-reaching decisions following allegations pertaining to LifeSport, and had also facilitated an independent investigation.
With respect to the second tell-all report, the government has failed to act in a timely manner on police intelligence gathering in spite of the passage of Anti-Gang legislation.
While Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith must be lauded for his current anti-gang measures, the Rowley government has ignored detailed and sensitive information that could have led to major successes in the anti-gang offensive.
The fact that taxpayer-financed agencies are still providing rewarding contracts to gangsters four years after the comprehensive report is a serious indictment on the incompetent PNM administration.
It also contradicts the oft-stated “all-of-government” approach to crime-fighting.
In addition, senior government officials have repeatedly stated that they have names and addresses of gang operatives.
Indeed the Prime Minister harbors senior Ministers of his government with known links to persons before the courts on drug trafficking charges and other alleged gang leaders.
Instead, the bald facts prove that the ruling regime has facilitated the growth of the deadly gang culture.
With the stunning revelations, the Prime Minister must now take resolute action against his Ministers under whose watch contracts were issued to gangsters.
He must also ensure that all such contracts are revoked as soon as it is legally possible to do so.
Dr. Rowley must act swiftly and decisively in these matters, otherwise he would be as guilty as former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who legitimised gang leaders through an official meeting on September 16, 2006.
The Prime Minister must shun his natural and senseless tendency to blame the previous government, and, instead, move with alacrity to stem the bloodletting that has made Trinidad and Tobago one of the most violent countries in the world.
Despite his well-worn track record of failure, Dr. Rowley must now assist law enforcement agencies by acting on the significant findings in the two highly instructive reports.
DR. ROODAL MOONILAL,
MEMBRER OF PARLIAMENT FOR OROPOUCHE EAST