Four ‘terror’ suspects released

JENSEN LA VENDE

Four of the 13 people held in connection with a threat to disrupt Carnival have been released up to yesterday, while at least three more are expected to be freed today after their attorney filed writs of habeas corpus.

Those released are Fawaz Ali, Tariq Mohammed, Imam Edoo Mohammed and Krisen Mohammed. Expected to be freed today are Clint Rivers and Adel Mantano. Rivers, and Mantano are represented by attorney Wayne Sturge, Mario Merritt and Lemuel Murphy respectively.

The attorneys will appear before High Court Judge Ricky Rahim in the San Fernando High Court. Another man, Mohammed Salmaan Ali, who is represented by attorneys Evans Welch and Radeyah Ali, is expected to go before a Port of Spain judge.

It was Welch and Ali’s threat of a habeas corpus followed by the fulfilling of the threat that snowballed the attorneys all running to the High Court to have their clients released. Tariq Mohammed and Fawaz Ali were released on Wednesday.

Yesterday, speaking with the media shortly after he was released from the Besson Street Police Station, Edoo Mohammed said: “It’s unjust what they doing right now. It is wrong what they are doing, and it is not making any sense.

“What was the need for this? Trinidad intelligence has to be the worst of the worst. By they detaining me, it shows the high levels of weakness in the Ministry of National Security.”

The exact nature of the threat was never revealed, with authorities describing it as “unusual criminal acts of varying forms, including violence”.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who is the chairman of the National Security Council, said it would have been irresponsible not to act on the information gathered by local and foreign agencies.

He underscored that the threat was viable. The first set of arrests took place last Thursday and by Carnival Monday the 13 people had been detained.