By NALINEE SEELAL Sunday, February 3 2013

Minister of National Security Jack Warner yesterday dismissed claims made by a former Flying Squad member Mervyn Cordner that the disbanded unit was up and running since July of last year, and that the revised unit was currently probing Dr Hafizool Ali-Mohammed, a member of the commission of enquiry into the 1990 coup attempt.

Yesterday Minister Warner told Sunday Newsday five months ago, Cordner came to him and asked about the future of the Flying Squad.

Warner said he told Cordner he would get back to him.

“I contacted Ag Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to ascertain his feelings about the setting up of a revised Flying Squad, and he advised that such an initiative is no longer desirable in the police service, and I so advised Mr Cordner,” Warner said yesterday.

He added, “I am not aware of any office that they have, nor any office equipment that they own, or any salaries owed to them, and furthermore, I do not know anything about this unit investigating anything with respect to Dr Hafizool Ali-Mohammed.”

Last June, warner said he was contemplating setting up a revised version of the Flying Squad from retired members of the unit. When the Sunday Newsday contacted Cordner yesterday for comment and told him that both Minister Warner and Ag Police Commissioner Stephen Williams said they were not aware the Flying Squad had been reformed, Cordner said, “I do not wish to comment at this time.”

Also yesterday, Sunday Newsday contacted Ag Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, who said, “There is no Flying Squad Unit inside the Police Service or outside , any law enforcement unit has to function under legal authority. I have not authorised anyone to operate a unit called Flying Squad or any other name, and especially (not) a unit headed by Mervyn Cordner, a retired inspector.”