[UPDATED] Brent Thomas controversy rages – PM, Kamla in tit for tat over Barbados PM

THE Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar engaged each other in a political tit for tat, over Persad-Bissessar's decision to write to Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley asking for a full enquiry into the Brent Thomas matter.

In a statement on Friday, Persad-Bissessar bluntly rejected Dr Rowley's assertion that she was out of place to send a formal letter to Mottley.

She advised the PM, "Stop worrying about my letter, start dealing with the issues affecting citizens and call the local government elections now."

Reiterating the UNC's view that firearms dealer Thomas was "abducted" from Barbados last year, Persad-Bissessar was adamant that she was within her rights to write to Mottley.

"It is in this regard that I wrote to the Prime Minister of Barbados urging her, in the interests of both our nations, to launch a full inquiry into the matter."

Persad-Bissessar reiterated the UNC's belief that Thomas's return to TT was "a maliciously co-ordinated and illegal operation (that) could not have been sanctioned without the approval of the highest offices in the land."

She claimed that a Office of the Prime Minister's (OPM) statement on Facebook containing Rowley's objection to her letter "highlights his laziness at his job and contempt for citizens."

Persad-Bissessar is demanding full disclosure on the Brent Thomas matter.

She said Government should be concentrating on fighting crime and poverty instead of "attempting to suppress transparency, freedom of speech, democratic principles and the rule of law."

In the OPM statement, on Thursday night, Rowley said, "The latest self-promotion of the Leader of the Opposition as an insertion into the business of the handling of the sensitive Brent Thomas matter between the Government of Barbados and the Royal Barbados Police Force and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the TT Police Service is a wholly unnecessary and out of place intrusion by the Leader of the Opposition."

Rowley said TT has a duly elected government which is led by himself and not by Persad-Bissessar.

"There is a role for the Opposition and a role and responsibility for the Government in managing the affairs of the state of TT."

He said TT's interest "will always be better served and protected if the country has one government at a time."

In a statement on Thursday, Persad-Bissessar said she had written to Mottley to clear the air on the Thomas matter.

"I have the utmost faith in Prime Minister Mottley to be transparent on this issue, which affects the rule of law and constitutional rights of all citizens, including those in Barbados."

In her letter, Persad-Bissessar described comments by Justice Devindra Rampersad in his judgment regarding Thomas's "abduction" as "a blotch on our nation's democracy."

On April 25,  Rampersad made scathing findings against police officers in his judgment, in which he stayed criminal charges against Thomas, who was detained in Barbados, from where he intended to travel to Miami to meet his cardiologist. He said he was forcibly returned to Trinidad. He was later charged with possession of weapons, including grenades and rifles.

This story was originally published with the title "PM: Kamla out of place to write to Mottley" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

THE Prime Minister says Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is out of place to ask Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley to hold a full enquiry into the Brent Thomas matter.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Dr Rowley said, "The latest self-promotion of the Leader of the Opposition as an insertion into the business of the handling of the sensitive Brent Thomas matter between the Government of Barbados and the Royal Barbados Police Force and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the TT Police Service is a wholly unnecessary and out of place intrusion by the Leader of the Opposition."

Rowley said TT has a duly elected government which is led by himself and not by Persad-Bissessar.

"There is a role for the Opposition and a role and responsibility for the Government in managing the affairs of the state of TT."

He said TT's interest "will always be better served and protected if the country has one government at a time."

In a statement on Thursday, Persad-Bissessar said she had written to Mottley to clear the air on Brent Thomas matter.

"I have the utmost faith in Prime Minister Mottley to be transparent on this issue, which affects the rule of law and constitutional rights of all citizens, including those in Barbados."

On April 25, Justice Devindra Rampersad made scathing findings against police officers in his judgment, in which he stayed criminal charges against Thomas, a firearms dealer.

Thomas was arrested on September 29, and later released. He was re-arrested in Barbados, from where he intended to travel to Miami to meet his cardiologist. He said he was forcibly returned to Trinidad.

Thomas was later charged with possession of weapons including grenades and rifles.

In his judgment, Rampersad criticised the police for what he described as an “abduction in Barbados.” He said this involved the use of what Thomas described as a non-commercial aeroplane owned by the Defence Force.

At a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on May 4, Rowley said, " "The Cabinet of TT had absolutely nothing to do with this matter."

He said his trip to Barbados between May 6-7 had been planned on April 14, long before the Brent Thomas matter made headlines.

On May 9, in a statement in Barbados' parliament, its Attorney General Dale Marshall rejected Rampersad's ruling that Thomas was "abducted."

At a news conference on May 8, Rowley said he met with Mottley while he was in Barbados on vacation, between May 6 and 7.

"Our departments are looking at it. My understanding is that she is the same position I am in and we wait what our departments come up with."