By NALINEE SEELAL Thursday, July 24 2008

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Let there be light: A marshal of the House of Representatives draws the drapes of the parliamentary chamber to allow light in during a brief power out...

Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert yesterday fired a woman inspector as the caterer for the Police Training Academy after 82 recruits suffered food poisoning on Tuesday.

Philbert also appointed acting Assistant Police Commissioner John Treavajo to investigate the circumstances under which the woman inspector was selected as the caterer for the academy at the Police Training College, and why the meal was prepared at her home in West Trinidad.

Police sources said the woman inspector got the contract because of the relationship she had with a senior officer.

The 82 recruits fell ill after they ate a meal of rice, peas and chicken. They were treated and discharged from the Port-of-Spain General Hospital on Tuesday. Arrangements are being made to have a restaurant cater for recruits. In an interview with Newsday, Philbert described the incident as unfortunate and said proper measures are to be put in place to make sure meals are properly prepared and caterers are hired in accordance with transparent procedures.

Philbert met yesterday with some of the recruits who suffered food poisoning but remained at the Training Academy after being discharged from the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Many of the sick recruits were allowed to return to their homes. Philbert also spoke with the training and medical staff, including Dr Raymond Tom Pack who works at the police hospital at the barracks.

Senior Superintendent Margaret Sampson-Browne and senior officers at the academy began an immediate investigation into the food poisoning on Tuesday and a preliminary report was done and provided to Treavajo who met Sampson-Browne yesterday.

Treavajo is expected to interview the recruits, as well as the woman inspector and to visit the premises where the meal was prepared. He is also to receive the results of tests done on the meal.

Some of the recruits told Newsday that the meal was sour but they were still instructed to eat it. The recruits said they had made reports about the quality of the food before to Acting Superintendent Irwin Coutou and Sampson-Browne, but no action was taken. Some recruits said they had suffered food poisoning before but those incidents were kept “hush-hush”. They also described the living conditions at the barracks as inhumane and claimed the compound is overrun with fleas, mosquitoes and rats. The roof leaks and there are only two toilets for male and female recruits, they said.

Police sources said Philbert read the riot act to senior officers of the academy and asked why the police executive had not been informed about the conditions at the barracks.