The T&T Police Service (TTPS) says while it maintained a strong operational presence during election day 2025 yesterday, several irregularities were reported and are currently under investigation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence & Investigations, Suzette Martin, confirmed, “While the majority of the day’s activities proceeded peacefully, we did receive several reports, including bribery, intimidation, impersonation, and interference with the electoral process.”
Arising out of these reports, one man was held with $30,000 in cash in St Joseph around 10 am.
Speaking with Guardian Media as she exited the Tunapuna Police Station with Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crime, Richard Smith, Martin said there was no evidence to corroborate claims the money had been intended to pay off voters.
Instead, she confirmed the suspect could not account for how he had come to be in possession of the cash, and he reportedly refused to reveal exactly what it was to be used for.
Guardian Media was later told that the Financial Investigations Branch (FIB) had been called in to assist and had seized the cash.
Martin assured, “We take all allegations of intimidation and electoral offences very seriously.”
She warned, “Any attempt to interfere with a citizen’s right to vote freely and without fear strikes at the very heart of our democracy and will not be tolerated.”
Martin encouraged members of the public to report any incidents of voter intimidation and other electoral-day offences, as she said the TTPS was ready to pursue all reports.
She warned, “The TTPS will remain on high alert in the coming days to ensure law and order are maintained throughout the country.”
Another incident yesterday centred around the search for a suspect who was allegedly offering people $1,000 to withhold their vote.
The police confirmed information had been given to them that people in the Mt Lambert/Mt D’or area had been approached by the suspect, who had been offering cash in exchange for holding onto their national identification cards, which would have been returned to them after the polls closed at 6 pm.
Senior officers said they were still searching for the suspect up to last evening.