Regrello yet be interviewed by police

SEETA PERSAD

SAN FERNANDO Mayor Junia Regrello is yet to be interviewed by the investigator appointed to probe the Carnival Tuesday’s face-off with the police on Coffee Street, but he is assuring Carnival revellers and particularly those who enjoy last lap that the 2019 celebrations will go until midnight.

On Carnival Tuesday night, Regrello faced off with the police when he challenged their decision to stop the Carnival two hours before the scheduled time at midnight. He told Newsday yesterday that this action by the police is wrong and he is prepared to answer any questions to clear the air on the matter. Supt Yusuff Gaffar of the Southern Division has been appointed to investigate.

“Clearly there were no incidents of violence of any kind in the last lap,” Regrello said, adding that people were enjoying Carnival in the cool, breezy night in south when police intervened

The mayor was on Coffee Street during the Last Lap pan competition, with Caribbean Airlines Skiffle led by his son Joshua Regrello, when police tried to bring a stop to the event.

Regrello insists there was nothing happening at the event to cause the police to behave in the manner they did. He said there are lots of people who have invested in running businesses on the streets for Carnival each year and it was unfair to stop the Carnival for no reason. He claimed the practise of stopping San Fernando Carnival before its scheduled end time has been going on for the last eight or nine years and this incident has now put a damper on south Carnival.

The police on the other hand are contending that they had no choice but to act in the interest of public safety. They cited fights and bottle throwing on Cipero Street as the reason.

Regrello said even if there was an incident on Cipero Street, that did not call for a total shutdown of Carnival.