People’s National Movement leader Dr Keith Rowley has called on former Deputy Police Commissioner Mervyn Richardson to resign from his position at the National Operations Centre (NOC), following allegations that he did not take information about a purported marijuana find at the residence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams in 2013.
Rowley made the call at a political meeting at Piggott's Corner, Belmont Circular Road, Belmont, tonight.
Saying that the if what was reported was accurate that Richardson had serious questions to answer, Rowley said,
“My first reaction is ‘Should I resign?’ We have a situation where the entire Police Service is held up to ridicule for what they are saying is a non-crime.”
He said if the allegations were true then Richardson should not be holding a position in the NOC where he is in charge of dealing with serious matters on national security.
Rowley also told supporters it was not the first time he had questions to ask about the conduct of a senior officer.
On the Children's Life Fund, the activities of which was researched by people in his office, the Opposition leader accused certain people of “thiefing money from dying children.”
He said this was not the first time the issue had been raised, pointing out that monies were not being managed properly.
Rowley also quoted from an e-mail which claimed that parents who had accessed the fund had not received money which were supposedly allocated to them.
“Not only are there criminals stealing the money but there are people who are committed to commit crimes to cover up the missing money,” Rowley said.
He described the PP Government as a “cult” which was creating a "cult figure."