CTU director appointed

TWO months after becoming vacant, the critical position of director of the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) has been filled.

National Security Minister Stuart Young announced via a statement on Wednesday that the former director Alana Wheeler was confirmed in the position.

Young welcomed her back after meeting with Permanent Secretary in his ministry, Vel Lewis, to discuss the direction of the CTU which had been without a head since April.

With Wheeler’s reappointment came a firm resolution from Young to use all resources available to pursue those who engage in human trafficking.

During the absence of a director, TT registered over 15,000 economic migrants from Venezuela amid allegations of human trafficking episodes.

The US State Department 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report also said TT remained a Tier 2 country as it did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas and had not secured any convictions under tis 2011 anti-trafficking law.

A Tier 2 country is one whose government does not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act minimum standards.

The US report raised the ire of the prime minister and Young denied any correlation between the two issues.

In an interview with the Newsday last month, Wheeler said the position was advertised internally since February while her contract was still valid and advertised externally two months later.

She said she was interviewed with the hope of being reappointed, but there was a delay in the process.