Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said allegations that there was a revived Flying Squad operating under the Ministry of National Security is ground enough for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to fire the line Minister, Jack Warner.

But he believes that as head of the country's National Security Council, Persad-Bissessar cannot claim ignorance of the unit, which allegedly operated undetected for six months.

He observed that the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago prohibits any unit which performs police duties to be under the supervision, control, influence or management of a Minister of Government or any member of the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago.

Former member of the original Flying Squad Mervyn Cordner who allegedly headed the New Squad had claimed that he had arrested people while the unit operated but could not explain under which authority he did so.

Maharaj observed that the Constitution gave the sole power of appointing police officers to an independent commission, the Police Service Commission, to operate under a Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and not a Ministry.

He said the issue of the New Flying Squad Investigation Unit was clearly an "illegal operation" and should be dealt with immediately.

"It appeared that is an illegal unit functioning under the Government and that is not something for the Prime Minister to cover up. The Prime Minister has a duty to allow the matter to be openly investigated," said Maharaj.

He called for the Prime Minister to trigger a special Joint Select Committee to convene in Parliament to scrutinise the Ministry within the next few days.

"This is a Government that condemned the SIA (Security Intelligence Agency) and disbanded SAUTT (Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago). Why would the Government want an illegal unit to do police work?" he questioned.

As far as he's concerned, the Prime Minister needs to account to the public on why she and Warner should still hold office.

"It cannot be swept away by asking for just a report from the Minister of National Security," he said.