00:00The Brent Thomas issue took another turn on Sunday when Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Anil Roberts, revealed a
00:06sworn affidavit statement given by former Police Commissioner McDonnell Jacob in July 2025 about the controversial matter.
00:15The matter of investigating Thomas came from a broader investigation being conducted according to Jacob's statement in the allegations of
00:22corruption in the issuance of firearm users license by the TTPS.
00:27Robert said that Jacob in a statement was conducted on October 2nd, 2022 by Senior Superintendent Susan Martin, who said
00:35that Brent Thomas, one of the firearms dealers under investigation, had plans to flee the jurisdiction.
00:41But, Robert said, this was contrary to what Thomas had indicated in a letter submitted in evidence.
00:46Brent Thomas has put into evidence a letter that said, hey, I am going to my doctor in Miami.
00:53But, they are going to say he is fleeing. He is under investigation. No charging at now, but he is
00:58fleeing. Okay.
00:59Jacob said he told Martin to contact Acting Senior Superintendent of the Transatlantic Organized Crime Unit, Tokyo, George Laldeu, for
01:08assistance.
01:09He said the following day, October 3rd, 2022, Senior Superintendent Martin again contacted him and said that Thomas had evaded
01:15surveillance and had obtained further information that he planned to flee the country.
01:20Two days later, Jacob said, Senior Superintendent Laldeu visited his office and indicated that Thomas, who was in Barbados, had
01:28signaled his intention to voluntarily return home, open quote, thus negating any procedure under the process of extradition, close quote.
01:37Jacob said that Senior Superintendent Laldeu had also told him that he had already made arrangements through the Ministry of
01:43National Security with the Joint Regional Communication Center and CARICOM impacts to facilitate Thomas' return.
01:51Robert's question why then there was all this cloak and dagger and secret mission to bring Thomas back if he
01:57had already volunteered to come back.
01:59The only difference here is that this man is saying that Brent Thomas said, well, I will come back.
02:05But if Brent Thomas is saying that you contact with him and he said, well, he will come back, what
02:10was he need for all of this imbroglio, for this secret mission to drag a man out he bed, if
02:17he was willingly coming back?
02:19You see, Commissioner of Enquiry may be needed.
02:22Jacobs then revealed that he later spoke with both Martin and Laldeu by teleconference, and Martin indicated that she had
02:30engaged the DPP's office and later obtained six warrants for the arrest of Thomas.
02:35And she also told the Jacobs that Thomas had intentions of going to Greece, a country that Trinidad and Tobago
02:42has no extradition treaty with.
02:43Jacobs said that senior superintendent Laldeu had also told him, quote, that the method they are using to secure the
02:50return of Thomas was customary once the person had volunteered to return, close quote.
02:55But this left more questions and answers floating around, said Roberts.
03:00See where the blood tickles?
03:02So they had no paperwork.
03:04They had no extradition.
03:06They were saying that he willingly was coming back.
03:08So they were going to take him nicely and bring him back.
03:12So there was no need for any sort of paperwork and natural justice or somebody lying.
03:20Okay.
03:20Jacob also revealed in a statement that senior superintendent Martin, quote, confirmed that the Barbados police had indicated Mr. Thomas'
03:28voluntariness and that she had also been aware that this method had been utilized in the past to secure the
03:34return of persons in similar circumstances, close quote.
03:37Robert said that the Barbados government and police had to answer as to why they reacted the way they did
03:42to grabbing Thomas, who had already agreed to return voluntarily.
03:46So, Mia Amor Motley, did you say you didn't know nothing and you didn't operationalize?
03:52Suzette Martin and DCP Jacob on record saying that Barbados said they had talked to Brent Thomas and he said,
03:59well, no problem, he would return.
04:01Therefore, why did you all go to the man in the hotel room, knock him and break down and drag
04:06him out, kidnap him, put him in a cage, put him in a tarmac and put him in a plane
04:11against his will?
04:11Well, if he said he was coming back, somebody lying.
04:15Jacob said, at the request of acting senior superintendent Laldeu, he signed documents permitting Laldeu, Martin, along with ASP Birch
04:24and acting corporal Joe Field to leave the country for the sole purpose of the return of Brent Thomas, who
04:30they had six arrest warrants for.
04:32But, Roberts insists that Jacob did not have the authority to grant such permission.
04:37So, DCP Jacob said he signed documents permitting himself, senior superintendent Martin, number 1287, 12587, assistant superintendent of police, Birch,
04:50and number 16904 acting corporal Joe Field to leave the country for the sole purpose of the return of Brent
04:57Thomas.
04:58So, DCP Jacob said he gave police permission to go to Barbados.
05:03The point problem is, he can't do that.
05:06He is the secondary one.
05:08The main permission has to come from the Minister of National Security of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, who
05:15at that time was Fitzgerald Etelbe.
05:18Heinz!
05:20See how serious it gets?
05:23Robert said that the only person who could give permission at that time for the police officers to get aboard
05:28the GRCC plane was then Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Heinz.
05:34When TV6 News spoke with Mr. Heinz last Saturday considering this matter and who had given written permission to allow
05:40the officers to go to Barbados and for the plane to be used, he refused any comment on the matter.
05:47Mark Bassant, TV6 News.
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