Former national security minister Subhas Panday is calling on the Government to outline exactly how far can law enforcement authorities go in exercising their powers as granted under the state of emergency.
Panday's comments come on the heels of reports of alleged beatings by soldiers and police officers abusing their authority. He said under a state of emergency the rights of citizens were suspended while the power of law enforcement bodies were increased. However, the former minister has questioned the extent of power granted to lawmen.
He asked: "To what extent are the powers of the law enforcement extended? Does that give the police or soldiers the right to beat people? "Everybody must know where they stand. There should be boundaries," Panday insisted. He said he was not criticising the Government but maintained that matters of public concern needed to be aired and clarified. If cases were made out which resulted in an abuse of power, Panday said it also must be proved it was maliciously done. "At the same time we cannot give people false hope that if they sue they will be awarded," Panday added.
Civil Military Affairs Officer of the T&T Defence Force, Captain Al Alexander, yesterday admitted the military had received several reports of alleged abuse of power on the part of soldiers since the state of emergency began. He singled out three incidents, one in Point Fortin, another in Las Cuevas and one which occurred in the Chaguaramas peninsula. He said; "We have been receiving reports from members of the public about alleged incidents of soldiers going overboard in exercising their powers.
"We already have made contact with these people and have received statements from them following which we have initiated an investigative process into the claims," Alexander assured.
He said Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Kenrick Maharaj also had given a mandate that indiscipline would not be tolerated in the organisation. "Soldiers have rules of engagement by which they are guided during the state of emergency and they must follow these rules. "It has been made clear that no incident of indiscipline will be tolerated," Alexander maintained. He said the police also would play a part in conducting the probes while the military would carry out its own internal investigation. Deputy Police Commissioner Jack Ewatski also assured that the Police Service and the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) would investigate all claims of police brutality. "We and the PCA will always investigate all allegations made against police officers, State of Emergency or not," Ewatski added.