Families return to Petrotrin houses but thrown out again

RESIDENTS of the Petrotrin bungalows in Clifton Hill, Point Fortin have been evicted once again.

On Wednesday morning, about 20 families were evicted and their personal belongings thrown on the roadside. Police informed them they were illegally occupying houses controlled by Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd. The residents insisted they were not squatting.

When Newsday visited on Wednesday, people were using tarpaulin and plastic sheets to cover their household belongings outside. They said that between 5 am and 8 am, more than 30 police officers and army personnel stormed their homes with guns and told them they needed to pack up and leave.

Sometime on Wednesday night, after they met among themselves, several families decided to re-enter the Petrotrin houses, prompting the police to come knocking on doors on Thursday morning, when the eviction process happened again.

Contacted for a response on Thursday afternoon, Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd chairman Michael Quamina told Newsday, "In direct response to your question, which I expect you will publish along with my response in full, is that you are absolutely correct – the bungalows do belong to Petrotrin. And persons occupied the said bungalows without the permission of Petrotrin."

One resident had said the police held guns to the heads of his wife, his toddler and himself. Asked if such actions were the orders given to police, Quamina said, "I am afraid that I cannot comment on the operational aspects of the exercise. I would hardly get involved in that. However, I can assure you that no such order would have been given, and I sincerely doubt that any such act took place.

"If persons are illegally occupying premises not owned by them and the owner wishes for them to vacate said premises, why would it be necessary for any such occurrence?"

On the issue of their doors being kicked down by police, he sought to correct Newsday's use of "their," as the properties belong to Petrotrin.

"I think the important point is that these properties clearly belong to a state-owned company. Persons occupied these properties when they were well aware that they did not have permission to do so.

"As far as I am aware, warnings were given to these persons who elected to move into properties when they were once more well aware that they did not have any right or authorisation so to do."

A man, said to be the "landlord" was arrested on Wednesday and taken to the Guapo Police Station. He has since been sent to the Point Fortin Police Station.

The evicted families insist they were not breaking any law.

One man said on Thursday he had been living in a three-bedroom house with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren for around eight months. “They just came here and went around by every house, threatened to lock us up and that we will get charged by Petrotrin,” he said.

Another resident showed Newsday a document which he said allowed him to begin renting. It was dated August 6 and said, “This is to certify that I (landlord) of the above mentioned address do hereby grant my permission to (tenant) of (address) to rent to own property situated at Clifton Hill Bungalow, Point Fortin in the county of St Patrick.” It was signed by the landlord and a justice of the peace.

A group of four Venezuelan cousins also occupied one of the properties, and told Newsday they would be walking through Point Fortin throughout Thursday to find a new place to stay. They had been living in one of the bungalows for six months.

Police returned to the area while Newsday was still there on Thursday, but when told that the media were present, they reversed their jeep and left.

Some residents claimed personal items were missing but when they tried to make a report on Wednesday, the Point Fortin police station refused to take their reports.

When they visited the station on Thursday, their reports were accepted. They were also told the landlord would soon be released, and was not charged.

Newsday tried to contact Energy Minister Franklin Khan, but all calls and messages went unanswered. All calls to the landlord's mobile phone were also unanswered.

When Newsday contacted the Point Fortin Police Station by phone on Thursday evening, the male officer who answered  hung up the phone after learning he was speaking to the media. When Newsday called back, a female officer answered and said she was not allowed to tell anyone whether the man had been released or charged.