President fires Police Commission head for racial remarks

PORT-OF-SPAIN: President George Maxwell Richards has revoked the appointment of Nizam Mohammed as chairman of the Police Service Commission, following racial remarks made just over a week ago.

The announcement came shortly before eleven this morning in a brief statement in which President Richards said he had taken the decision to revoke Mohammed's appointment both as PSC chairman and as a memer of the PSC with immediate effect under the powers vested in him under Section 122A of the Constitution.

That section states that the President shall, after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, terminate the appointment of a member of the Police Service Commission, if the member fails to perform his duties in a responsible or timely manner or demonstrates a lack of competence to perform his duties.

The president said he had a cordial meeting with Mohammed last Friday when the business of the commission was discussed.

There have been widespread calls for Mohammed to resign or for the president to revoke his appointment following statements which he made at a meeting of parliament's Joint Select Committee on Friday March 25th.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was among those condemning Mohammed's statements as reckless. Mohammed has insisted he did nothing wrong and had refused to heed calls for his resignation.

Following last Friday's meeting with the president he told the media that he was continuing his work as PSC chairman.

The following is the President's statement:

"In the matter of the Constitution and of the Revocation of the Appointment of the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, as Chairman & Member.
His Excellency GEORGE MAXWELL RICHARDS, T.C., C.M.T., Ph.D., President advises that he has, with immediate effect revoked the appointment of Mr. Nizam Mohammed as Chairman and member of the Police Service Commission. In so doing, His Excellency has exercised the power vested in him by Section 122A (1) (d) & (f) of the Constitution (as amended), all other powers thereto enabling and, after a most cordial meeting with Mr. Mohammed on Friday 1st April, 2011 when the business of the Commission was discussed."