Claims and counter claims as MovieTowne saga continues

THE Port Authority/MovieTowne saga continues, as the Port of Spain Infrastructure Company (POSINCO) denies allegations of non-compliance with orders issued by the High Court.

In a statement on September 7, the company also denied reports that its officers were intimidating its client, Trinbago Commercial Development Co Ltd (TCDC) which owns MovieTowne at Invaders Bay, Port of Spain.

On August 23, bailiffs took control of MovieTowne’s office and banquet hall after POSINCO claimed the TCDC owed $10,904,121.23 in rent, which had accumulated since May 2021.

On August 24, Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell issued an injunction preventing POSINCO from communicating with MovieTowne’s tenants.

In a virtual hearing on August 26, the High Court gave TCDC until August 28 to pay $3 million – which it did – and POSINCO was instructed not to disturb the operations of TCDC or MovieTowne’s tenants, pending the outcome of the High Court matter.

However, on September 6, there was an alleged altercation.

POSINCO officers claimed they were “met with hostility” while “executing our duties” at MovieTowne. POSINCO claimed that officers of Telecom Security Services, employed by the TCDC, blocked the door and threatened officers with firearms.

However, a MovieTowne manager dismissed this claim saying Telecom officers were not even armed. The manager then claimed that it was armed POSINCO security officers who threatened MovieTowne staff.

In its release, POSINCO maintained it always observed the terms of the court order and did not engage in intimidation tactics, so there was no reason for its representatives to do so.

“POSINCO security has been directed to maintain minimal contact with TCDC personnel while maintaining its right to possession. Since re-entry on August 23, 2024, POSINCO’s security officers have been stationed at the premises. This is in keeping with our position as the landlord and is fully within the terms of the re-entry procedure.

“Our officers are not deployed to engage in any form of confrontation and have been explicitly instructed to limit interaction with MovieTowne staff,” the POSINCO release said.

The statement added that “regarding the unfortunate incident that took place on September 6,” POSINCO was not the instigator.

It said its personnel were merely executing their duties under the court order, and it was regretful that others had had been instructed to act in a “threatening manner” towards POSINCO officers.