PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) is calling on the coalition People’s Partnership government to publish the names of people detained or arrested during the current state of emergency.
In a statement, TTTI said that the Kamla Persad Bissessar government should also provide information on where detainees are being held and allow them to make contact with their families, as well as access legal representation.
“Where there is a legal case for detainees to answer, initiate charges and legal proceedings as soon as possible,” the release stated, adding that reviews by the independent tribunal should be completed as soon as possible.
“Any suspension of the rights of citizens is a very serious matter and we welcome the public assurances that the authorities are being careful not to infringe on the rights of the innocent in the discharge of their duties.”
The Trinidad and Tobago government on Sunday used its overwhelming majority in the Parliament to extend the state of emergency for a further three months but reduced the eight hour curfew to five hours.
TTTI said that while extending the state of emergency will provide the government with the space to continue its initiatives to suppress criminal activity conclusively, “it will also create additional stresses on both our population and our security forces”.
TTTI said it believed it was “dangerous to measure the success of the state of emergency in terms of the number of people detained or weapons found, as it could result in the detention of innocent citizens by over-zealous security personnel wishing to demonstrate good performance.
“Results should be based on dismantling criminal structures from the masterminds down and addressing the root causes that have led to this situation, the statement said, adding that the allegations of abuse of power by law enforcement agents should be seriously investigated.
“Any members of our security forces who act outside of their legitimate powers should be held accountable and appropriate disciplinary action taken,” TTTI said.
Meanwhile, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has warned law enforcement officials that they cannot abuse their power and use excessive and arbitrary force against citizens during the state of emergency.
PCA chairman, Gillian Lucky, told the Express newspaper Tuesday that the PCA will be more vigilant during this period and advised that all complaints with respect to police abuse or corruption should be made to the PCA.
“The Police Complaints Authority is an independent body mandated in statute to deal with criminal offences, including abusive police officers, police corruption and also serious police misconduct.”
Lucky said that since the state of emergency was declared on August 21 one official complaint had been made to the PCA.
She said 13 other matters detected by the PCA through reports in the media would also be investigated.
“We have to be more vigilant because persons may be more intimidated into making complaints. People need to remember that they continue to have rights in a state of emergency.
“My concern is that the people of this country are unfortunately unaware that the state of emergency does not give the police a licence to use their power arbitrarily. Any complaints there are concerning excessive and arbitrary force by the police can be made to the PCA,” she added.