Hinds: Police to appeal Brent Thomas matter

NATIONAL Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds has said the police will appeal a judgement by High Court Justice Devindra Rampersad to stay criminal charges against fireams dealer Brent Thomas.

He also said Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, and Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher will respectively investigate issues Rampersad raised in his judgement.

Hinds made these statements in a live broadcast on TTT on Monday.

On April 25, Rampersad made scathing findings against police officers in his judgment.

Thomas was arrested on September 29, 2022, but later released. He was re-arrested in Barbados, from where he intended to go to Miami to meet his cardiologist, and said he was forcibly returned to Trinidad on a TT Defence Force (TTDF) plane. He was later charged with possession of weapons, including grenades and rifles.

In his judgement, Rampersad criticised the police for what he described as Thomas' "abduction in Barbados." He said this involved what Thomas described as the use of a non-commercial aeroplane owned by the TTDF.

“Words cannot express the abhorrence that the court feels towards this unlawful act in a supposedly civilised society governed by a Constitution in which the freedoms of the citizens are supposed to be protected.”

Hinds said, "Lawyers for the state have been directed by the police to conduct an appeal in that matter. That is a matter for the lawyers and for the police."

He added that he had read the judgement and noted Rampersad's observations.

Hinds said, The AG is in the process of further investigating these matters to the extent that he can."

Harewood-Christopher, he continued, "is engaged in investigating these matters as much as she must."

Hinds added, "Where an appeal or appeals have to be filed, they will be filed."

He said there is a clear distinction between police action and governmental action.

"It had nothing to do with me as minister, the Prime Minister or the Cabinet.It was police carrying out its police operations in the way it does."

Hinds slammed members of the Opposition UNC and other people who were trying to politicise the incident.

"That ought not to be allowed to stand."

Hinds said the police took action against Thomas on the basis of information they had about him being in possession of prohibited items such as automatic firearms and hand grenades.

He did not comment on Rampersad's statement in his judgement on Thomas's claim that he was brought back to TT from Barbados on a TTDF plane or questions that Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal raised in Parliament on April 28 on this issue.

Hinds also did not comment on Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young's response to Moonilal on April 28, that the plane which brought Thomas back to TT belonged to the Regional Security System (RSS).

Hinds noted the call from Moonilal for the Barbados government to say how Thomas was brought back to TT and calls from others for the matter to be investigated.

He said, "With the little facts known to me, I know why you are hearing very loud voices. But as I told you, all police operations and investigations are ensuing and they will continue."