Govt official made sexual advances
Male victim files report with police:
By Mark Bassant CCN Senior Multimedia Investigative Journalist
ANOTHER Government official is at the centre of a sex scandal.
The alleged victim, a man, is claiming the official made sexual advances to him when he visited his home in North Trinidad last year.
The man filed a police report at a police station within the last two weeks. He claimed the incidents happened last year, in the months of January and October.
Mr Hall, who gave the Express permission to use his last name, said he had known the official since 2010.
“Mr....... and I had a very good, brotherly type of relationship that I look up to as a friend and a brother,” Hall said.
Hall, 27, dressed in a black jeans and white shirt with a black blazer, spoke with this newspaper at Express House in Port of Spain yesterday.
He said he went to speak to the official about a personal matter that he needed advice on in January last year.
“He told me to come and see him, and as I would have entered and walked towards the sitting area, he would have come and asked me what you have there, making approaches to me; he would have stretch forth and pulled my penis and ask me what you have there,” Hall said as he gesticulated with his hands to demonstrate his point.
Despite the first incident, he said late last year (in October) , he went to seek advice from the official because one of his friends had got in a jam.
“She told me she was going to have an abortion, and I said let me talk to someone to get some advice on what you should do.
“I had just finished running around the Savannah and later, I went to his home. I was sitting on the chair and he was sitting next to me and we were having our conversations.
“I think at that point in time, I was really broken down because of the situation I was going through at the point in time. And he came and he was there, playing with my nipples and then raise up my jersey and then nibble on my nipples.
“I really didn’t like it; I got up and I left,” Hall said, ap-
pearing embarrassed at the situation.
The Express asked Hall if he had an intimate relationship with the official and he quickly replied, saying, “I strongly believe that God created man for woman and woman for man, and definitely, I would never say we are lovers. I am not bisexual and I am not gay.”
The Express obtained a number of e-mails Hall had sent to the Government official this year; in one, he stated:
“I have not been able to talk to anyone about anything, I even refuse to come visit u when u say I should, because I am totally afraid of what might happen at your apperment (sic).”
In another e-mail he sent shortly after that one, he indicated:
“Your reaction is not one of someone that willing to make it right, yet someone that living in denial, is it that you afraid that this goes public, I am also willing to do so because someone else will come forward.”
Hall, said he grew up in a children’s home and had never experienced any kind of physical abuse in his upbringing.
He said he was disappointed with the Government official trying to justify his actions.
“He even went on as far as to say after that I protected you when nobody else was there for you; I was there for you, you understand, but being there for me means what? That you are there for me, but it is okay for you to do what? Attempt to abuse me?” said Hall.
Following the correspondence, he said the official reached out to him in an e-mail a few days ago, which TV6 obtained; it said:
“Let’s talk about this, I have not mention your name or anything, if you want we can settle this, if not just say no, and then we fight really hard, think about this. Your family and you will live happily.”
“I took that as a direct threat to my life and my family life, and I immediately got in contact with the authorities.”
The Express e-mailed questions to the Yahoo account three times on Monday night to confirm the authenticity of the account and a response came bearing the official’s name, stating we needed to speak to his lawyers about this matter.
He refused to answer at least 20 questions that were posed to him by the Express and TV6.
Hall said he received a pre-action protocol letter from the official’s lawyers, stating in essence: “Allegations and insinuations were made against him which seek to impugn his character and good name”, and they rejected these allegations.
Hall revealed he had even spoken to another Government official a few days ago, seeking his intervention and assistance, and “he in turn called the Prime Minister about this”.
Hall said after the allegations, the official called him in tears, and he played an excerpt of that recorded conversation to TV6.
“What is this? Why, why would you do this?”
The recording appeared to be that of the official’s voice.
Hall said he has reported the matter to the police and said all he wants is a public apology.
“No form of monetary figure can settle the hurt and pain this has caused me. And if anyone has been abused by a Government official, a family member or even a teacher, I urge you to come forward and clear your conscience.”
