Five get $1.2m bail on gang charges

FIVE men have each been granted $250,000 bail by a Port of Spain magistrate on several charges related to gang activity.

The five are Calvin Lee, also known as Tyson, 32, of Clifton Hill Towers, St Paul Street, Port of Spain; Akiel “Bolo” Hovel, 28, of Desperlie Crescent, Laventille; Dwayne “Docs” Skeete, 35, of Anisette Street, East Dry River, Laventille; Kerwin “Joey and Black Hand” Williams, 24, of St John Road, East Dry River; and Anthony “Master Cain” Caine, of LP71, Pelican Extension, Trou Macque, Laventille.

They appeared virtually before magistrate Indar Jagroo on Tuesday.

They were not called to plead on the charges and ordered to return to court on December 15. Their bail is to be approved by the registrar of the court.

The five were arrested last week after extensive investigations, police said in a release on Monday.

Lee was charged with being a gang leader and receiving a stolen motor vehicle and the other four were charged with supporting a gang and receiving a stolen motor vehicle.

They were all charged under the anti-gang legislation, which expires on November 29. On Friday, a bill to extend the life of the Anti-Gang Act failed in Parliament after the Opposition abstained from supporting a 30-month sunset clause extension.

The vote resulted in 20 in favour of the extension and 19 abstentions. The legislation required a three-fifths majority of the House. The last act was passed in 2018.