Mark: Police death squad in TT

Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Wade Mark, made the startling claim that death squads operate in Trinidad and Tobago, one even being run by the Police Service. He was speaking on Tuesday evening in the Senate on the Kidnapping Bill 2003.

Mark said: “I would like to ask the Minister of National Security whether there is an official death squad in the Police Service? I want him to answer that. I also want him to tell the national population whether there is a privately organised death squad in this country? I see outside the Police Service, a private death squad has emerged killing people at will and no-one has arrested these people. We want the Government to tell us whether there is a privately-organised and run death squad supported by the Govern-ment in this country?” He said Trinidad and Tobago had now reached the stage of Grenada under the Mongoose Gang, Guyana under the House of Israel, and Haiti under the Tonton Macoutes, concluding: “This is frightening.”

Mark explained why the Opposition was not supporting the bill, saying: “It’s our view that a bill on anti-kidnapping is not what is required at this time, but that what is required is the political will by the PNM to address the problem of crime in this country. Kidnapping is one aspect of crime.” Mark alleged: “If you cuddle and consort with criminals, terrorists, extremists, and murderers, how can you solve crime? The PNM is a part of the problem. Last Wednesday the Prime Minister (Patrick Maning) had a meeting with Abu Bakr — he meets Abu Bakr every two weeks; the Prime Minister is in collusion with Abu Bakr — and three hours later two people are dead! How can you come here and seek support when his hands are covered in blood?” 

Minister of Science,  Danny Montano, objected: “That’s completely out of order!” Mark continued, now targetting Minister of Community Development, Joan Yuille-Williams, saying: “Senator Yuille-Williams knows a lot about Abu Bakr. She had childhood contacts with Abu Bakr.” Yuille-Williams objected to the remarks. President of the Senate, Dr Linda Baboolal,  again warned Mark to be relevant to the bill. Winding up debate on the Kidnapping Bill 2003, Minister of National Security, Howard Chin Lee addressed points raised by other Senators on the bill, but ignored many of Mark’s charges.  Later asked by Newsday whether there existed a Police Death Squad, Chin Lee replied: “I have no knowledge about that. It’s totally untrue. It’s Wade Mark being melodramatic as he often is.”