Caribbean & Central America - 16 November 2004

There are mounting concerns over killings by police in Trinidad & Tobago. During the budget debate in parliament in October, opposition leader Basdeo Panday claimed that as of 22 August this year there had been '14 murders allegedly committed by policemen amounting to a crude display of police brutality'. 

During his speech to parliament, Panday asked: 'How can the population be expected to have confidence in the police, one of the most important institutions in a democracy, when they continue to operate above the law by terrorizing and murdering citizens who depend on them for assistance and protection?' The interesting aspect of Panday's allegations was that the government's response was hardly reassuring. Speaking in the same budget debate on 25 October, National Security Minister Martin Joseph did deny the existence of any death squads, saying: 'There is no death squad existing in the Police Service and no such arrangement will ever be tolerated in this country.' 

However, he admitted that he had recently been approached by 'some prominent citizens' who had suggested to him that it had become necessary 'to take some people out' in order to reduce the crime wave. (As of the end of October, there had been 222 murders in Trinidad compared with 175 in 2003.)

Naturally Joseph said that he had dismissed the suggestions out of hand, but the very fact that 'prominent citizens' felt able to approach the national security minister with such a suggestion is remarkable. Joseph said: 'I told them that we cannot even think about that. I told them that there is a country [presumably Guyana] right now which is being scrutinized for allegedly being engaged in such action.'

Only the day before, on 24 October, Prime Minister Patrick Manning revealed his own disquiet over the issue. He told the Women's League of the ruling People's National Movement (PNM) that he was concerned over the recent killing by police officers of five youths in two separate incidents. He said it was 'unacceptable if citizens of Trinidad & Tobago are gunned down in cold blood'. However, he did say that it was not his intention to 'castigate the police' and he said that he understood the pressure they were under, saying: 'Pressures are on them to perform and, from time to time, some police officers become over-enthusiastic in the conduct of their duties.'

In its 2004 annual report, Amnesty International noted that during 2003 'there were continuing reports of torture and ill-treatment by the police and army, sometimes resulting in death'. On 27 October Police Commissioner Trevor Paul announced that officials were investigating 21 killings by police officers since January.

In addition to the crime question - and the police's tactics in dealing with it - the government is under pressure on corruption. There is some irony in this given that the Manning administration came to power on an anti-corruption ticket, capitalizing on the involvement of the 1995-2000 Panday government in a serious public-sector scandal. 

Now with the tables turned, on 20 October the prime minister conceded that the Integrity Commission would be asked to look into allegations that Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley had used labour and materials from a state building project for a private sector project to which he was linked. He has also ordered an investigation into all government contracts awarded since he took office in 2002.