Ramesh Maharaj —— kidnapping fighter

FORMER Attorney-General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj yesterday declared that were he National Security Minister today, kidnappers would be arrested before they could commit their evil deeds. According to Maharaj: “Kidnapping has been made the norm in Trinidad and Tobago under the PNM.” Referring to passage of the amended Kidnapping Bill in Parliament on Wednesday, the former AG said that legislation alone “will not be decisive in solving kidnapping”. Maharaj explained that the missing element to the effective combatting of kidnapping was detection and Government had failed the Police Service in this regard. He said the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) comprises over 20 men, has no modern equipment and no avenues to source help from overseas. Maharaj said as AG there were mechanisms in place for mutual sharing of intelligence between TT security forces and their counterparts in Britain and the United States, but he was uncertain as to what became of those arrangements after he was dismissed from the then UNC government.

Maharaj boasted that if he were National Security Minister and had the necessary tools, kidnappers would be arrested “before they left their house” to seize their intended victim. Addressing Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference, Prime Minister Patrick Manning revealed that Government was studying the possibility of freezing the assets of kidnappers and their families, but this would require the Opposition’s support. Maharaj slammed the PNM for “breaking the law, but wanting people to follow the law.” He said while the PNM often speaks about integrity, none of its ministers have declared their financial assets to the Integrity Commission, nor has it brought Equal Opportunity legislation to Parliament. Noting that the Integrity Commission did not have the required forms for declaration of assets, Maharaj claimed it would take “30 seconds” for the necessary procedure to be carried out in Parliament.