There is an obvious need for more definitive reporting on the alleged human trafficking mentioned in the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report of the US Department of State.
Until that unfolds to a satisfactory degree, there is a maze of confusion to be clarified over which party/government the alleged sex trafficker is or was associated with.
Was the alleged transportation for sex work done during the United National Congress government, or is the alleged violator in the present Government?
In between Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s assertion that the US report refers to the UNC’s time in office, and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar demands that the Prime Minister reveal the name of his Parliamentarian who is supposedly part of the sex trafficking ring, there’s the statement of a former UNC minister, Devant Maharaj. He claims when he was a minister, he was a member of an investigating team which carried out the search and identified those involved in the government.
Moreover, he claims information was presented to the party's leadership, including its political leader, who did nothing about the individual allegedly involved in the sex trafficking ring.
Mr Maharaj even claims he was offered participation in the activity going around but he declined. It’s a pity though, that Mr Maharaj’s sense of righteousness and concern for such negative practices have only surfaced now that he is no longer involved with the party and on a well-publicised break with the UNC leader.
In a court of law, Mr Maharaj may be described as an untrustworthy witness.
But the propaganda war is in full flow, as UNC Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, Dinesh Rambally, has denied writing and or sending a letter purportedly to his political leader calling for her to bring clarity to the matter.
Now that its statement in the report has become deeply entwined in local politics, the US Embassy in Port-of- Spain, perhaps under advice from Washington, may want to stay away from clarifying the time frame of the trafficking and from which party the person or persons belonged. However, the US authorities here and abroad must recognise the need for blocking criminal activities which inevitably may reach their shores.
What is certain, though, is that the news and opinion-raising media will not allow this matter to simply die after a couple episodes of allegations from the contending politicians seeking to sully the other side.
As everyone is aware, criminality of one kind or the other is threatening to unravel this society. Any form of crime poses a threat, as along its path there are weapons, drugs and smuggling involved.
For a Member of Parliament and/or senior official to be involved in such criminality is absolutely unacceptable.
Alternatively, if it turns out this matter amounted to a lot of politicking without substance, those found to be involved must also be subject to a political penalty.
This country is too deep in the mire of a criminal culture, operating without concern for lawfulness and law enforcement, to allow political pranks to attend such allegations.
Rightly so, and before any clarifications are made, the police must already have begun investigations.