Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander has sought to clarify comments that appeared to suggest he would support a curfew, after a triple shooting in Belmont left two men and a toddler dead and renewed public concern over violent crime.
Anthony “Monster” Wilson, 28, and Aquil “Fats” Kafi, 30, were shot dead along Upper St Francois Valley Road around 8.35am on Thursday.
Kafi’s 23-month-old son, Akini, later died from his injuries at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, while the child’s mother, Antonia Cain-Kafi, 36, remained in critical condition up to last night.
As Alexander left Parliament yesterday, Guardian Media questioned him about the Government’s response in the wake of the killings.
“Baby Akini would have died. People are looking to the Government for its response now, minister,” he was told.
“You were just asking Marvin, what he say?” Alexander replied, appearing to reference an earlier interview with People’s National Movement chairman Marvin Gonzales.
When asked whether he would advise Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to consider imposing a curfew amid rising violent crime and home invasions, Alexander responded: “Yeah,” before closing his car door to his vehicle and starting the engine.
But hours later, the minister contacted Guardian Media insisting he had not been responding to the reporter’s question.
“I didn’t answer you all. I answered my security detail as to if I was going to change in my car, how you all came up with that?” he said.
Alexander was later seen exiting the vehicle dressed in traditional Indian attire, having initially entered wearing a suit.
The exchange unfolded ahead of a scheduled diplomatic visit by India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who arrived in T&T for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
