PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar should have appointed an independent person to investigate the allegations of the setting up of the New Flying Squad Investigation Unit and not referred it to the police, said Opposition MP Colm Imbert.

Yesterday Persad-Bissessar reported to the Parliament on the issue during the sitting held at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain. She noted that the National Security Council discussed the issue during their regular meeting on Thursday and received a report from National Security Minister Jack Warner. She reported that following the meeting it was decided to forward the report to Acting Commission of Police for investigation.

Imbert, speaking to the media during the tea break, said he did not agree with this decision.

"The police have been implicated in this matter. This allegation, let me use the Prime Minister's word, so to ask the police to investigate the police is really himself to himself," he said.

He continued: "It would have been far better if she appointed some independent person, a retired judge or somebody like that, to investigate this very serious matter. But to ask the very people who have implicated in it, because there have been allegations that certain police officers were aware of this alleged Flying Squad. So to ask the police to investigate the police really is not transparent."

Questioned whether the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and director Gillian Lucky could investigate Imbert pointed out that they can only investigate the actions of police officers.

"If police officers have been involved in this thing then that it is within the remit of the Police Complaints Authority but if it is people outside of the Police Service then the (PCA) cannot investigate it. So whereas I have confidence in Miss Lucky and her impartiality and independence she can only go so far in investigating whether police officers were involved but she cannot go beyond and see whether people external to the police service were involved," he said.

He added: "So it really should be a person of integrity, of credibility and an independent person should be the one investigating."

He said a Commission of Enquiry was not necessary but one person with legal training.