Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh claims extortion is a major problem in his constituency, so much so that business owners in his constituency do not report the crime to the police since they are afraid criminals would be privy to their reports.
Speaking at the Opposition’s media briefing yesterday, Indarsingh slammed the Prime Minister’s recent boast of “saving T&T”. He said there is pain, agony, bloodletting on the streets and a “reign of terror” in the country.
“We’ve moved from gun crimes to home invasions, carjackings, ‘taxing’ of law abiding people and businessmen, extortion and what is now an arm of extortion has reached the chilling events of firebombings and arson,” the MP claimed.
Citing media reports, particularly in Couva and other areas in central, Indarsingh added, “Businessmen are now being sent photographs of their homes, spouses, children, where they go to school, of their vehicles and vehicle numbers, photos of where their wives and families are, interacting with relatives or shopping malls. It’s a known fact now that extortion is part of the ‘business’ landscape in Couva-Pt Lisas and by extension all of T&T.
“Three business enterprises recently came on separate days to my constituency office to inform me they’re fearful, they’ve been getting phone calls and being told if they don’t pay X number of dollars, they won’t be allowed to conduct their businesses and they’re very afraid to go to the police stations because they feel by the time they leave the precincts or the compounds of these respective police stations, underworld elements will be privy to their reports,” he alleged.
Indarsingh said he received five such complaints in the last six months.
“Citizens’ mental health has been totally destroyed because of the Prime Minister’s ineffectiveness as the National Security Council’s head and the ineffectiveness of failed National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds. T&T’s in a state of collapse due to lack of leadership on the PM’s part from a crime fighting point of view and his successive national security ministers who’ve failed,” Indarsingh added.
And Indarsingh also slammed Minister Hinds on problems in the Fire Service. Noting a recent number of fires and arson attacks, Indarsingh cited a document sent to Hinds that the January 18 failure of a “boom” on an $800,000 skylift was due to damage by a named third party. He also called on Hinds to answer if wooden ladders not approved by OSHA have been placed on fire tenders.
“The city could ‘bun down’ but Hinds and Rowley jamming still,” Indarsingh added.
The Couva South MP, who assured a UNC government would repatriate T&T nationals from Syrian refugee camps, said, “Despite assurances from Foreign Affairs Minister (Dr) Amery Browne and other officials that the State was doing its best to repatriate T&T citizens in Syrian refugee camps, little to no success had been realised.”
He added, “It’s reprehensible Minister Browne recently turned from commenting on the progress on bringing home our Muslim brothers and sisters and joined Hinds in attacking former police commissioner Gary Griffith.”