Coast Guard crew in alleged Grenada clash taken off duty

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said the Coast Guard interceptor crew involved in an incident with the Grenadian vessel Rayniah J has been removed from seagoing duties until the conclusion of an investigation.

Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Hinds said an independent investigative body from the Defence Force and the police had been put together to investigate.

He said they had contacted the investigator from Grenada to speak with the crew members, and were awaiting a response. He said interviews were taking place locally, with a second round of questioning to be carried out.

Grenadian sailors from the Rayniah J were intercepted and allegedly beaten in Trinidad and Tobago waters on March 2.

A report from the Grenadian Broadcasting Network said their injuries were so bad that one crew member, Aveka Augustine, was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital for treatment and will need surgery to repair broken facial bones.