All 19 Preventative Detention Orders issued by the Minister of Homeland Security have been executed on persons deemed to have been acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety and security. Confirmation comes from the Head of the Police Service Legal Team Acting Sergeant Zaheer Ali. Alicia Boucher has more in this report.
00:00The people for whom preventative detention orders were issued under Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander are in the custody of law enforcement.
00:09So says the TTPS's legal head, Acting Sergeant Zaheer Ali.
00:13Well at this time I'm instructed that there are 19 preventive detention orders issued and executed by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service for persons who the minister is satisfied.
00:30Need to be prevented from acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety and security.
00:3519 persons are presently detained and are at specific detention centres.
00:42On August 6th, eight detention orders were issued by the minister and then on August 8th, five more were issued.
00:51Is it 19 orders overall comprising the eight from before and the five yesterday?
00:57Yes, within the five and the orders that you're referring to, that would be within the 19 persons I'm speaking at this time based on my instruction.
01:06He indicates that all 19 were made aware of their rights under the emergency powers regulations, including to access legal counsel.
01:14Ali points out that once a detention order is issued and executed,
01:18should any detainee be aided and abetted in escaping or be harbored by another person after escaping, that person commits a criminal offence.
01:29The acting sergeant expounds on what is meant by acts that are prejudicial to public safety and the defence of the country,
01:35which are the grounds under which people are being detained.
01:38It's activities or acts that affect more than a few.
01:44So, you know, one person should recognise that when we are speaking about preventing someone
01:48acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety and security, it's more than a few and it's not an individual.
01:55So, you know, that should answer the activities or the conduct that we are looking at.
02:01And also key as well is that being satisfied, the threshold is credible intelligence.
02:10If you have evidence, okay, fine.
02:12But credible intelligence that the person is acting or about to act.
02:18In terms of the tribunal headed by the Chief Justice, which was set up to allow detainees to appeal their detention orders,
02:25Ali reveals another aspect of power held by the Homeland Security Minister
02:30in relation to the tribunal.
02:32The tribunal will provide their findings to the minister,
02:36whether in fact they think that there is sufficient grounds for the detention and continued detention of the individual.
02:42May I say that the minister may or may not, you know, comply with the direction of the tribunal
02:50and the minister also can revoke that detention order, that preventive detention order at any time.
02:56He tells us under the SOE powers, the regular court system does not have the legal remit to grant bail to any detainee.
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