CMC – The Attorney General in Trinidad and Tobago, Reginald Armour, has apologized to the Government of Barbados and the Barbados Police Service for “the slur” used by a judge to describe the actions of lawmen who assisted police in the twin-island republic in returning a wanted firearms dealer to the country.
In a statement to Parliament on Wednesday, he said that while the manner in which Brent Thomas was brought back was unlawful, the Barbadian officers were only helping to bring him to justice.
“I offer to the government and the Royal Barbados Police Force, my apologies for the slur which has been cast on the action of the . . . Barbados Police Service who, consistent with the law and their oaths of office, were assisting the T&T Police Service (TTPS) to the best of their ability in the investigation of alleged crimes, in seeking to bring an alleged fugitive to justice,” Armour said.
In his ruling on a constitutional review motion filed by Thomas last month, Justice Devindra Rampersad accused Barbados police of “abducting” the 61-year-old businessman from his hotel in Barbados on October 5 last year and handing him over to Trinidad and Tobago police at the airport.
Thomas was brought back here to face charges of illegal possession of weapons, including grenades and rifles, but the judge stayed the charges, contending that the Trinidadian’s detention involved serious breaches of his constitutional rights.
The government has since appealed that decision.
Justice Rampersad’s characterization of the Barbados police’s involvement as an abduction had been rejected by the island’s Attorney General Dale Marshall.
In a statement to Parliament on Tuesday, he said that while the local police had failed to follow the rule of law and due process, by not complying with the Extradition Act, they had rendered the requested assistance to their T&T colleagues “without any mental element of criminality that would be associated with an abduction”.
Armour expressed a similar view. Addressing Justice Rampersad’s use of the word “abduction” in his ruling, Armour said there was no evidence that the TTPS acted with criminal intent in pursuing Thomas to Barbados and bringing him back to Trinidad.
“There can be no criminal offence of abduction, involving criminal intent, unless such criminal intent was shown, beyond reasonable doubt to have been present in the minds of the officers of the TT Police Service,” he said.
He also disclosed to Parliament on Wednesday that while Trinidad’s Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions George Busby had advised TTPS officers involved to communicate the existence of warrants to Barbados authorities, no advice was given as to how the rest was to be done in Barbados or how, if arrested, Thomas was to be returned.
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