00:00Speaking on TV6's Morning Edition program, Opposition MP, Senior Counsel Keith Scotland
00:05wonders whether the government's data on the state of emergency can be trusted.
00:09He says the data presented in Parliament on Friday by Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander,
00:15differs from the data posted by Prime Minister Kamala Passad-Bissessa to social media on Sunday.
00:21Here's the first point I make about that, apart from the quantitative and qualitative difference.
00:26The minister said about 5,400 persons were detained and about 245-some-odd were arrested and charged.
00:39Yes, that's 4.1%. That could never be a success.
00:43So on the back of that, the Honourable Prime Minister releases a report that has a different amount of persons
00:50who were arrested and charged.
00:53Here's my beef with that. In Trinidad and Tobago, I think we need to start to take this country seriously,
00:58because the government is not taking us seriously.
01:02Where are the actual figures?
01:04Scotland is also questioning when the government will be held accountable,
01:08because the statistics, according to him, cannot be trusted, and the government has many questions to answer.
01:13When does the media or the population get to interrogate that?
01:18Because it's a statement in Parliament without any opportunity to question,
01:24and it's a statement via Twitter or whatever the social media platform was.
01:31But there are no questions to be answered, because there are several questions,
01:36but there's no one there, either from a post-Cabinet briefing,
01:40either from a briefing with the media to answer the questions.
01:42They are taking this country for granted.
01:46Scotland also spoke about the reintroduction of the Zones of Special Operations Bill.
01:51He made clear that his party will support anti-crime legislation,
01:54but that support is not going to come just like that.
01:58Let me make it pellucidly clear that we support firm, lawful, and effective action against crime,
02:05no matter which part of the country that action takes place,
02:09be it Westmoreland, be it Separia, be it Tobago, be it the Beetham, be it Seelots.
02:16However, we would support this sort of activity if it's intelligence-led,
02:23because we want the removal of illegal firearms,
02:27we want the dismantling of gangs,
02:29and we want the prosecution of those who are responsible for terrorizing our communities.
02:34However, that support is not blind.
02:39The state of emergency is due to end on September 17th.
02:42Dominic Ramroop, TV6 News.
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