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OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, on Sunday, said the Barbados government had questions to answer about findings made by a High Court judge about a TT citizen being “abducted” from Barbados by police to face criminal charges.
Moonilal made the statement at an inter-faith service to mark the opening of the UNC’s new party headquarters at Mulchan Sieuchan Road, Chaguanas. The event also celebrated the 34th anniversary of the founding of the party.
In a statement on Saturday, Police Complaints Authority (PCA) Director David West said the PCA had launched an investigation into comments made by Justice Devindra Rampersad in his judgment last Tuesday, when he stayed criminal charges against firearms dealer Brent Thomas after making scathing findings against police officers about the way Thomas was brought back to TT from Barbados.
Thomas was first arrested on September 29, 2022, and later released. He was re-arrested in Barbados, from where he said he intended to travel to Miami to meet his cardiologist, and said he was forcibly returned to Trinidad on a TT Defence Force (TTDF) plane.
He was later charged with possession of a series of weapons, including grenades and rifles.
The matter was raised on Friday by Moonilal during the debate on an opposition motion of no confidence against National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds.
He said, “From the judgment, it is said that the Defence Force assisted the TT Police Service to fly to Barbados and to illegally abduct a citizen of TT and bring him back to TT, to face charges and so forth.”
Moonilal called on Hinds to indicate whether he approved the TTDF’s participation in the matter
In response to Moonilal during the debate, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said the TTDF was not involved in that matter.
Young disclosed for the first time that the plane which brought Thomas back to Piarco was assigned to the Regional Security Services, based in Barbados.
“The fact is that did not happen and it was an RSS plane – the Regional Security Services (RSS) out of Barbados.”
Young did not comment further on the matter, indicating that the court would deal with it at an appropriate level.
The RSS was established in 1982 for Caricom to have a collective response to security threats facing the region.
The Caricom member states forming the RSS are Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines.
The RSS has an air wing with two C26A aircraft which are used primarily for counter-drug operations.
On Sunday, Moonilal noted Young’s response to his statements in the House on Friday.
“TT is not even a member of RSS. It raises more important questions as to how did they commandeer an RSS plane?”
Moonilal asked, “Who gave the authority? Which department in TT? Which police officer, defence officer? Which minister in the Cabinet, authorised and participated in the international, illegal abduction of a citizen of TT?”
After saying the matter was bad if the TTDF is involved, Moonilal said, “Now they are bringing Caricom in that.”
He added, “Today we depend yet again on the new republic of Barbados to bring disclosure, to bring transparency and to explain to the people of TT because our government will not.”
Moonilal claimed that the Prime Minister, who is also chairman of the National Security Council, would not explain what happened in the matter.
“It is Barbados that needs to explain what happened here.”
He also claimed it was another example of authoritarianism on the part of the PNM.
Moonilal said, “PNM will use the brutality of the state protective services.”
He added this is why the UNC remains relevant to protecting democracy in TT.
Opposition Senator Jearlean John could not believe police officers could pull off an operation as described by Moonilal.
“Those things you only see in the Tom Cruise (Mission Impossible) movie franchise.”
She warned UNC supporters, “Today it’s Brent Thomas. Tomorrow it could be any one of us.”
Opposition Senator Wade Mark claimed what happened to Thomas was similar to the dismissal of Jwala Rambarran who was fired as Central Bank governor on December 23, 2015.
At the time, it was said he was removed for being “discourteous” to the Government by making public details of foreign exchange, announcing on December 4 that year that TT was officially in a recession, and disclosing the names of the companies that were the biggest foreign-exchange buyers.
Mark claimed, “One get ‘kidnap’ and the other was summarily dismissed by Rowley.”
On October 25, 2022, Rambarran received $5.4 million in compensatory damages from the court after it was determined he had been unlawfully dismissed.
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