By RHONDOR DOWLAT and INDARJIT SEURAJ Friday, August 14 2009

DAYS after drugs and guns were found hidden in the ceiling of an office in the St Joseph Police Station — a find which led to the transfer of 38 officers — police yesterday arrested an officer from that station when a raid at his Tacarigua home turned up a quantity of cocaine and marijuana.

Investigators say the arrest coincides with the discovery of the guns and drugs at the police station over the weekend.

According to a police report, officers acting on information, went the officer’s home at about 10 am and during a search, discovered the narcotics. The officer was expected to be charged late last night.

Meanwhile, several of the transferred officers said yesterday that they would not subject themselves to a DNA test and fingerprinting, which investigators are demanding.

“A lot of officers are not going to agree to that,” stated one of the officers who spoke on the basis of strict anonymity. Another officer said the taking of fingerprints and giving of swabs for DNA analysis, could only be done when a person has been charged with a crime.

“They can’t take somebody’s fingerprint or DNA in this country unless that person has been charged and taken to court,” the officer said, adding that the transferred officers were very concerned that acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) James Philbert, at a press conference, said investigators will use these methods of evidence gathering as part of the probe.

The police officers said such a move by investigators, would effectively brand the 38 transferred officers as “criminals”.

“They are making us feel like we are criminals. I have nothing to hide because I did nothing wrong. Taking DNA and fingerprints without charges, is against the law,” an officer said. Another transferred officer agreed, saying: “I have no cocoa in the sun, but we shouldn’t have to subject ourselves to that.”

Noting that the entire scandal had turned into a “Peter paying for Paul” scenario, the officer opined that the decision to reassign almost the entire strength of the St Joseph Police Station was “unfair”.

He said that it was already embarrassing enough to be reassigned in such a manner and officers would feel even more degraded to submit their fingerprints and DNA for testing. “If that is the case, then we will have to seek legal advice,” the officer noted.

According to acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Carla Brown-Antoine, fingerprints may only be taken either voluntarily or when a person is charged for an offence. “As a suspect you don’t have to (give fingerprints),” she said. The acting DPP noted that under the recent DNA legislation, investigators could forcefully take mouth swabs as well as hair samples from a suspect. Blood and urine samples can be given either voluntarily or by court order, she added.