Covid19 fete accused - 5 Trinis and 6 Venezuelans in court

Five Trini men and six Venezuelan nationals appeared before a Port of Spain magistrate on Wednesday to answer to charges arising out of a raid led by Police Commissioner Gary Griffith at a guest house in Cascade.

A TTPS press release issued Wednesday indicated that the 11 were charged under the Public Health (2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (No. 9) Regulations, 2020.

Trinis Bruce Bowen and Dominic Suraj both of Maraval, Christopher Wilson of Belmont, Collin Ramjohn of Point Cumana and Marlon Hinds of Diego Martin were the locals charged.

Venezuelan nationals Luz Marinavargas Ibarra, Dana Natacha Fuentes Mudarra, Gresel Gerardo Goncalez Gonzalez, Yulangi del Carmen Prospertt Array, Luisneidis Marino and Mariangel del Valle Lopez Ramos were also charged.

The 11 were charged with gathering in a public place where the number of persons gathered exceeded five persons. They appeared before Port of Spain Magistrate Adia Mohammed via video conferencing.

The Trinis were granted own bail each in the sum of $20,000 on the condition that they remain at their residences between 6 pm and 8 am, until the covid19 regulations are lifted.

The non-nationals were denied bail and remanded into custody. On Good Friday, shortly after midnight, members of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) led by Commissioner Griffith raided Alicia’s Guest House in Cascade and detained 16 people.

The raid came hours after Griffith at a press conference on Holy Thursday, warned that police will pay particular focus on covid19 fetes and gatherings.