Following the Barbados Police Service’s help and support to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force in its efforts to bring Brent Thomas to justice, Trinidad and Tobago Attorney General Reginald Armour has apologized to both the Barbadian government and the Police Force for the negative remarks made about the said force who assisted in the arrest of Thomas.
The TTPS officers involved had also been instructed by George Busby, the deputy director of public prosecutions, to inform Barbados authorities that warrants were in effect. However, no instructions were given as to how the remaining steps should be taken in Barbados or how Thomas should be brought back to T&T if he were to be detained there.
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Armour recently made this revelation in an address to Parliament about the Thomas guns dealer case and Justice Devindra Rampersad’s April 25 verdict.
No less than 22 UNC MPs raised a clamorous objection as Armour began speaking, stating that his remarks were unlawful because the State was appealing the ruling.
In his conclusions in Thomas’ favor, Justice Rampersad mentioned what he called an “abduction” from Barbados.
Thomas, who was at the center of many TTPS investigations in 2022, was apprehended once more on October 5 in Barbados while traveling to Miami. Police from Barbados and T&T were involved.
The State appealed Rampersad’s recent ruling. According to Armour, a new appeal was filed with the court and requested to be considered immediately for “national security reasons” and to address the egregious errors committed by the trial judge.
Armour stated that in the eventuality that T&T has to be protected at the Privy Council level, the State has English solicitors in place.
Attorney General Dale Marshall of Barbados sought clarification on the matter from the Barbados Police Service following Rampersad’s recent ruling (BPS). Marshall presented his results at the previous hearing earlier this week.
Armour stated that he agreed with Marshall’s comments and supported them, adding, “I offer to the government and the Barbados Police Service, 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 to the best of their ability in the investigation of alleged crimes, in seeking to bring an alleged fugitive to justice.”
Armour described the State’s points of appeal but left out the arguments that the State’s legal representatives will make.
In his own words, Armour said he felt constrained. “Nevertheless, I make this statement because I recognize and acknowledge the legitimate concerns which arise out of that matter, exacerbated by the judgment. Nothing that I say here falls outside our permitted hierarchical judicial structure, tiered to include within the hierarchy of our Supreme Court that judges at first instance may make errors in the discharge of their judicial functions, and the Court of Appeal exists to correct those errors.”
According to Armour, the issue entails questions of national security, which limits the specifics he is able to discuss, and it also involves police operating systems and protocols, which are outside the purview of the Executive. According to him, the Police Commissioner authorized an investigation into the situation, which must be allowed to proceed.
Armour stated that his knowledge originated from directives supplied by the police to the legal team defending the Office of Attorney General as a defendant in the case, emphasizing that the Executive played no part in the events leading to the decision. He pointed out that the issues raised in the ruling are of an operational nature for the police.
