The scandal of insufficient scanners to detect drugs and guns in the country has sunk into murkier waters.
The latest is that two vehicles with scanning capabilities were procured by former police commissioner Gary Griffith, but acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob said yesterday they were eating away $1.8 million of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) monthly budget.
Furthermore, the top cop said the vehicles cannot be used to scan containers at the port and, to date, have had no significant success in crime fighting.
In response to questions from the Express yesterday, Jacob said there were also Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) issues in relation to the risks associated with scanning vehicles occupied with persons, and also persons utilizing the scanning vehicles.
The vehicles with X-ray capabilities were leased under Griffith’s tenure, and an agreement began on December 1, 2019, for a four-year period.
Jacob said because of the high cost, the National Security Ministry reviewed the agreement with the company, and discussions are ongoing as to where they can be used in other areas of law enforcement.
He said during the period the scanning vehicles were in use, there was no significant success and, coupled with the OSH issues and high costs, their use was discontinued.
Jacob added when the financial audit into the Police Service was done by the Central Audit department at the Ministry of Finance, they identified this as a discrepancy. That audit report was completed in January 2022.
Outstanding
payments
Jacob noted that a police commissioner has the authority to issue contracts up to $1 million, and anything more requires Cabinet approval.
Asked whether the vehicles can be used at the ports to scan containers, Jacob said they cannot.
“We got an expert who looked at it and determined that it was not in a position where it can be used to scan whole containers,” he said.
He said they can be used to scan smaller items, such as barrels.
Asked how much money in total was paid to the company that owns these vehicles for the period they were in use, Jacob said this is under review and there are outstanding payments.
Jacob was at the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on National Security on Wednesday, where it was disclosed there were insufficient scanners at the Port of Port of Spain, with only one fixed scanner being used.
Containers are manually examined by three Customs officers over 14 bays.
The commissioner said he has been liaising with Customs and Excise officials, and knows they are trying to make all efforts to procure four new scanners.
He said a proper and fully operating scanning system at the port will help the police in stemming the flow of guns and drugs into the country.
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