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General Discussion / Re: ASSASSINATION PLOT THREAD
« on: December 04, 2011, 07:18:45 PM »
Decision on detained 16 today: DPP: I was not consulted
Published: Mon, 2011-12-05 18:54
Geisha Kowlessar
Rnand Ramlogan Attorney General Anand Ramlogan says the law must take its course and if there is no evidence against the 16 detainees, then they must be set free. Saying that the law must be respected at all times, Ramlogan added: “The rule of law must be respected at any and all costs and Government is committed to the rule of law. “If there is insufficient evidence to justify the laying of charges, then the detainees must be set free in accordance to law,” he said in an interview yesterday. The Attorney General also made it clear that the laying of charges was a matter for the police in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Asked what charges, if any, were expected to be laid on the detainees, Ramlogan said he was not advised whether or not charges would be laid. “But I am not surprised because this is not a matter that involves the executive arm of the State,” he said. “It is a matter exclusively for the police and for the DPP who would advise if and when consulted.” Up to late yesterday afternoon, the State did not approach DPP Roger Gaspard to seek advice whether or not charges should be laid against 16 detainees. Contacted yesterday, Gaspard said he was in office up until 7 pm and had no consultation with any one. “Nobody has sought my advice in relation to bringing any criminal charges,” he said.
“I’m in my office doing my normal work and I have not been consulted on this matter...No one has opted to have an audience with me,” Gaspard said. But a senior lawyer, who asked not to be identified, said given the nature of the allegations, it would have been “obviously appropriate” for the police to maintain a close connection with the office of the DPP and to seek advice regarding what nature of charges could be laid. The attorney said investigators, depending on what charges they were pursuing, were not duty-bound to consult the DPP and could go ahead and lay the charges. On the other hand, however, the DPP must give the directive to lay certain charges which would include perjury, sedition and charges relating under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” the attorney explained.
“These charges can only be sanctioned by the DPP,” the lawyer added. Gaspard, however, reiterated that in the case of special prosecutors, his office was the sole authority to prosecute criminal matters. He said in the event that a special prosecutor had to be appointed outside the office of the DPP any matter, he (the DPP) was the sole person to grant a fiat to that particular attorney or attorneys to prosecute. Attorney representing Khalil Karamath, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder, in an interview yesterday, said the State had found itself in a difficult position. She said the State went ahead and served orders which indicated that the 16 were dangerous people who were likely to endanger the lives of the public.
“So if these are indeed dangerous people, how would the public be protected on the expiration of the state of emergency?” Elder said. She added that after detention orders were initially served on the 16, they were then served with particulars which were subsequently served on Friday. Detention orders were slapped on the 16 men for allegedly being involved in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and three senior Government ministers. Others were identified as allegedly being behind a plot to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago and cause major panic. The orders were made by the National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy, in accordance with paragraph two of the second schedule to the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2011.
The Plot
Particulars for detention order obtained by The Guardian regarding plot to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago and cause major panic:
On October 28, 2011, an officer of the Special Branch Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service received credible information from a confidential informant that there was being planned, a plot to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago and cause major panic and that the detainee was the mastermind behind the plot. The information from the said confidential informant was that the detainee was the leader of a extremist Islamic group which meets at Chaguanas and that the detainee regularly espouses extremist and radical Islamic beliefs at these masjids.
The said confidential informant also said that the detainee had recruited members of his religious group to carry out the detainee’s plan to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago. On September 18, 2011, three men all believed to be members of the detainee’s radical Islamic group were arrested at Wallerfield, after a period of surveillance conducted by members of the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU). Upon the arrest of certain people the following items were seized by the police:
• One Glock 17 pistol
• 30 round of 0.40 mm ammunition
• 24 rounds of 9 mm ammunition
• 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition
• 6 firearm magazines
• 1 rifle firearm with scope
• 2 bulletproof vests
• 2 Police Velcro patches
• 1 blue sweater resembling that used by members of the Guard and Emergency Branch
• Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force camouflage jacket and pants
• 2 stolen vehicles.
• 1 computer on which was stored anti-terrorist and weapon training material originating from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigations and Special Air Services
Information received from the said confidential source was that a detainee was responsible for purchasing ammunition for the said plot. In 2010, the detainee was arrested and charged with possession of more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition after said ammunition was found at his home along with a number of high-powered rifles, including AK47 assault rifles and a large quantity of narcotics. Intelligence received has linked the detainee to the importation of sophisticated weapons that were capable of long range assassination and together a central businessman whose home was searched and a large cache of high powered rifles were recently found, is suspected in the importation of such weapons.
Published: Mon, 2011-12-05 18:54
Geisha Kowlessar
Rnand Ramlogan Attorney General Anand Ramlogan says the law must take its course and if there is no evidence against the 16 detainees, then they must be set free. Saying that the law must be respected at all times, Ramlogan added: “The rule of law must be respected at any and all costs and Government is committed to the rule of law. “If there is insufficient evidence to justify the laying of charges, then the detainees must be set free in accordance to law,” he said in an interview yesterday. The Attorney General also made it clear that the laying of charges was a matter for the police in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Asked what charges, if any, were expected to be laid on the detainees, Ramlogan said he was not advised whether or not charges would be laid. “But I am not surprised because this is not a matter that involves the executive arm of the State,” he said. “It is a matter exclusively for the police and for the DPP who would advise if and when consulted.” Up to late yesterday afternoon, the State did not approach DPP Roger Gaspard to seek advice whether or not charges should be laid against 16 detainees. Contacted yesterday, Gaspard said he was in office up until 7 pm and had no consultation with any one. “Nobody has sought my advice in relation to bringing any criminal charges,” he said.
“I’m in my office doing my normal work and I have not been consulted on this matter...No one has opted to have an audience with me,” Gaspard said. But a senior lawyer, who asked not to be identified, said given the nature of the allegations, it would have been “obviously appropriate” for the police to maintain a close connection with the office of the DPP and to seek advice regarding what nature of charges could be laid. The attorney said investigators, depending on what charges they were pursuing, were not duty-bound to consult the DPP and could go ahead and lay the charges. On the other hand, however, the DPP must give the directive to lay certain charges which would include perjury, sedition and charges relating under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” the attorney explained.
“These charges can only be sanctioned by the DPP,” the lawyer added. Gaspard, however, reiterated that in the case of special prosecutors, his office was the sole authority to prosecute criminal matters. He said in the event that a special prosecutor had to be appointed outside the office of the DPP any matter, he (the DPP) was the sole person to grant a fiat to that particular attorney or attorneys to prosecute. Attorney representing Khalil Karamath, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder, in an interview yesterday, said the State had found itself in a difficult position. She said the State went ahead and served orders which indicated that the 16 were dangerous people who were likely to endanger the lives of the public.
“So if these are indeed dangerous people, how would the public be protected on the expiration of the state of emergency?” Elder said. She added that after detention orders were initially served on the 16, they were then served with particulars which were subsequently served on Friday. Detention orders were slapped on the 16 men for allegedly being involved in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and three senior Government ministers. Others were identified as allegedly being behind a plot to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago and cause major panic. The orders were made by the National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy, in accordance with paragraph two of the second schedule to the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2011.
The Plot
Particulars for detention order obtained by The Guardian regarding plot to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago and cause major panic:
On October 28, 2011, an officer of the Special Branch Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service received credible information from a confidential informant that there was being planned, a plot to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago and cause major panic and that the detainee was the mastermind behind the plot. The information from the said confidential informant was that the detainee was the leader of a extremist Islamic group which meets at Chaguanas and that the detainee regularly espouses extremist and radical Islamic beliefs at these masjids.
The said confidential informant also said that the detainee had recruited members of his religious group to carry out the detainee’s plan to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago. On September 18, 2011, three men all believed to be members of the detainee’s radical Islamic group were arrested at Wallerfield, after a period of surveillance conducted by members of the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU). Upon the arrest of certain people the following items were seized by the police:
• One Glock 17 pistol
• 30 round of 0.40 mm ammunition
• 24 rounds of 9 mm ammunition
• 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition
• 6 firearm magazines
• 1 rifle firearm with scope
• 2 bulletproof vests
• 2 Police Velcro patches
• 1 blue sweater resembling that used by members of the Guard and Emergency Branch
• Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force camouflage jacket and pants
• 2 stolen vehicles.
• 1 computer on which was stored anti-terrorist and weapon training material originating from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigations and Special Air Services
Information received from the said confidential source was that a detainee was responsible for purchasing ammunition for the said plot. In 2010, the detainee was arrested and charged with possession of more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition after said ammunition was found at his home along with a number of high-powered rifles, including AK47 assault rifles and a large quantity of narcotics. Intelligence received has linked the detainee to the importation of sophisticated weapons that were capable of long range assassination and together a central businessman whose home was searched and a large cache of high powered rifles were recently found, is suspected in the importation of such weapons.