Two security officers fired for airport breach

THE Airports Authority of TT (AATT) made an about turn on their own procedures by suspending one of their security officers who stopped two Government ministers from leaving the Piarco airport through the duty free exit. They were Minister of Foreign Affairs Dennis Moses and Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis.

In 2009, then security officers Jonathan Subero and Giselle Lewis were dismissed after they facilitated an unauthorised exit through the duty free area of the airport. Newsday spoke yesterday with Subero who said the rules were not as clear as they are now but, when he was there, only foreign dignitaries were afforded the privilege of exiting through that area.

"I was really upset when I heard about the officer because they suspended him for doing his job. He was right about insisting they (Dennis and Robinson-Regis) had to go through Customs unless it was an official visit from a foreign dignitary. When I was there, anyone entering or exiting had to be searched. After we were fired, the rules were clarified, but anyone coming into the country had to go through Customs. When we were dismissed, it was something that they were not clear about."

Subero said he and Lewis were fired despite doing necessary checks on their colleague who was allowed to pass through the exit to throw away garbage. After Lewis checked the boxes to ensure the employee wasn't trying to smuggle anything out of the airport, the person went to the bin and returned.

On Monday, it was made public that security officer Kelvon Alexander was suspended on November 16, for two weeks without pay, because he was allegedly discourteous to Moses and Robinson-Regis on September 20. On Wednesday, Alexander – supported by the Estate Police Association (EPA), issued a pre-action protocol letter to the AATT. The letter was addressed to senior security officer Supt Avril Daly-Brassey who signed the suspension letter. Attorney Kiel Tacklalsingh in the letter, said the decision to suspend Alexander was an abuse of power “demonstrative of a sycophantic eagerness to appease public figures.”

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs said Moses and Robinson-Regis were returning from Guyana.

The statement read: “For ease of departure, the ministers were guided through the duty free area to the first visible exit, which was controlled by Airports Authority security personnel. The security officer on duty at the exit indicated that the party should proceed to the Customs area to exit the building. The protocol officer identified the ministers to the officer and requested that the security officer facilitate their passage through the exit. However, access was denied. Following an exchange between the security officer and the Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, the party exited the terminal building via the Customs area.”

In the pre-action protocol letter, Alexander accused Moses of demanding that protocols be violated claiming that Moses banged on the door for it to be opened. In suspending Alexander, the AATT said although he was correct for not allowing the ministers to use the duty free exit, they reviewed CCTV footage which showed he was discourteous. Newsday spoke with members of the EPA who called on the AATT to make the footage, which has no audio, public, "in the interest of transparency."