Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is asking, “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?”
He was speaking in reference to the matter involving firearms dealer Brent Thomas.
On Sunday, during the UNC’s inter-faith service, Moonilal said the Barbados government also 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.
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 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.
Moonilal said: “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.”
He 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.
COMMENTS