AG blanks Mark on Brent Thomas affair

ATTORNEY General Reginald Armour, SC, refused to engage with speculation by Opposition Senator Wade Mark that local firearms dealer Brent Thomas was "kidnapped" by police from Barbados and returned to Trinidad and Tobago last year.

Armour said his office has filed an appeal against an April 25 judgement on this matter and he will not reply to any claims made by Mark about it.

He was responding to questions from Mark in the Senate on Friday.

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

Thomas was first arrested on September 29, 2022, and later released. He was re-arrested in Barbados, from where he intended to travel 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 a series of weapons, including grenades and rifles.

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

Armour reminded senators that he had made a statement in the House of Representatives on this matter on May 10.

"I reiterated and I emphasised then, as I do now, which has already been said by the honourable Prime Minister, that the Executive played no role in the events and facts giving rise to the judgement and commenting on by the judge."

The Office of the AG and Ministry of Legal Affairs, Armour continued, "has filed an application before the Court of Appeal to hear this appeal urgently, in priority over all other appeals."

The matter is set for a case management conference on February 7, 2024.

Armour said, "This substantive matter is ongoing before the Court of Appeal and therefore obviously sub judice.

"Senator Mark well knows that it is a breach of standing order 47 to pursue any matter which relates to contempt proceedings in any court of record until the proceedings have ended or discontinued."

Senate President Nigel De Freitas disallowed Mark from repeating claims that Thomas was "kidnapped."

He cautioned all senators against imputing improper motives against any parliamentarian when making a contribution or asking a question.

"I am not going to allow that to continue."

Mark then asked Armour whether the matter warranted a "independent criminal forensic investigation."

Armour reminded Mark about his ministry's application to the Court of Appeal to hear the matter urgently. He further reminded him that the Court of Appeal is an independent court of record which is a part of the High Court.

"There is no need for me to engage in the speculation that is invited by Senator Mark's question."

De Freitas also disallowed Mark's claim that Government was abusing the Senate's standing order with respect to legal proceedings that are sub judice.