The day the cops left empty-handed from Panday’s home

Panday was not at home at the time, but the scene created quite a stir in the quiet Bryans Gate residential community.

Panday was, at the time, on his way to Port-of-Spain to keep an appointment with the visiting Indian Parliamentary delegation at the Opposition Leader’s office on Charles Street, Port-of-Spain.

The incident at Bryans Gate took place around 10.20 am Tuesday after detectives attached to the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Port-of-Spain quietly pulled up in front of Panday’s home in a panel van. Seconds later, a white car and an E-999 vehicle drove up in haste. Men dressed in blue shirt jacs emerged from the panel van, followed by uniformed policemen armed with sub-machine guns. The men in the blue shirt jacs were members of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Two of Panday’s cars were parked in the yard, while a third was parked on the side of the road in front of the house.

The lawmen banged on the main front gate leading to the main garage. There was no response. Suddenly, the armed police officers dressed in blue tactical uniform pushed open the gate and, within minutes, they were all over the yard. Some went to the back of the house, pointing their guns in the air. Others knocked on Panday’s front door in the upstairs storey of the house. Others knocked on doors at the back and front of the downstairs floor.

Members of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and police officers peeped through windows and tapped on window panes. As this was going on, another E-999 police vehicle drove by.

Neighbours peeped through the windows. Some walked up Bryans Gate to catch a glimpse of Panday, but the political leader of the UNC was nowhere to be seen.

Panday was subsequently charged, appeared in court, and refused to post bail and preferring to spend the next few days at the Golden Grove Prison.