A Sergeant of Police and a former Special Reserve Police officer are among three persons charged with multiple counts of Misbehaviour in Public Office.
They are Sergeant Sherwin Waldron, Ian Brown, a former SRP officer and Susan Portell Griffith.
Sergeant Waldron was charged with Misbehaviour in Public Office to wit, transferring of prohibited weapon and Misbehaviour in Public Office to wit, transferring of ammunition.
He was also jointly charged with Susan Portell Griffith, for Misbehaviour in Public Office to wit the aiding and abetting in the possession of prohibited weapon and Misbehaviour in Public Office to wit the aiding and abetting in the possession of ammunition.
The third accused, Ian Brown, a former SRP officer, was also charged with Misbehaviour in Public Office to wit, possession of prohibited weapons and Misbehaviour in Public Office to wit, possession of ammunition.
It is alleged in April 2021, an officer prepared a correspondence bearing the Special Operations Response Team letterhead, stating he had the authorisation to reassign of a quantity of firearms and ammunition from SORT to the Guard Unit at the Special Services Agency.
The firearms and ammunition in question had been previously issued to SORT in December 2018 and recorded in their official documentation.
It is further alleged the firearms and ammunition were later handed over to an SSA official, but were never handed over to the Guard Unit at the SSA.
An audit was subsequently conducted of the firearms and ammunition issued to the SSA and the firearms and ammunition were never accounted for or located.
A team of investigators from elite units in the TTPS, under the astute guidance of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, “Intelligence and Investigations” Suzette Martin, together with Legal Officer, Zaheer Ali, conducted enquiries into several reports of Misbehaviour in Public Office arising out of the audit.
On Monday 20th May 2024, the team of officers received advice from Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, SC, to lay charges against three persons in relation to the matter.
Later that said day, Sgt. Waldron and Portell-Griffith, were both arrested and charged with the offences while Brown was held shortly after and also charged.