Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's statement that she was asked by National Security Minister John Sandy to pay former acting Police Commissioner James Philbert one month's salary has been deemed as interference in the affairs of the Police Service Commission by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.

"I don't know why the Prime Minister and her Government do not respect the independence of the Police Service Commission. If there is money owing to Mr Philbert, it should not take any direction from the Prime Minister for him to be paid those monies," Rowley said yesterday.

He also asked whether the monies were an ex gratia payment for the humiliation Philbert suffered, or was it money to pacify him for breach of contract.

"These are questions to be answered and the independent commission ought not to be taking direction from the Prime Minister. And she is doing Mr Philbert no favours, she is just furthering the humiliation," he said.

On the Prime Minister's apology to Philbert for the manner in which the People's National Movement treated him by having him acting for so long and not appointing him as Police Commissioner, Rowley asked whether the Prime Minister was saying the PNM should have made Philbert Police Commissioner outside of the process established for hiring a commissioner.

Noting that Persad-Bissessar was a member of the Parliament which established the new system for the appointment of a police commissioner, Rowley said Philbert took part in that process and was not selected and therefore the "PNM or anybody could not have made him Commissioner of Police".

He said on the second occasion that a police commissioner was selected, Philbert did not take part in the process.

"So the Prime Minister is only playing for headlines and photo opportunity, because the PNM did nothing to interfere with Mr Philbert, other than give him the opportunity like everybody else to participate in a process which the Parliament (which included the Prime Minister) established."