Panday: Crime will get worse

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday yesterday scoffed at legislation which Government plans to bring to Parliament to ban the funding of terrorism and warned that Saturday’s attack on former President Sir Ellis Clarke shows that crime in Trinidad and Tobago is only going to get worse. Addressing the United Nations 59th General Assembly on Friday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said: “We (TT) are already a party to the principal international legal instruments against terrorism and parliamentary action will shortly be taken by Government to enact legislation enabling us to honour obligations regarding the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.”

In outlining Government’s 2004-2005 legislative agenda in the House of Representatives two weeks ago, Attorney-General John Jeremie identified the Terrorism Bill 2004 as one of the key pieces of legislation to be laid in Parliament during the current session.  Jeremie said this Bill “is being introduced pursuant to our international obligations as set out in the UN Security Council Resolution No 1373 of 2001.” Panday told Newsday yesterday that if Government brings such legislation to Parliament, they may be “the first to be arrested” because of their alleged links to “certain criminal groups in TT.” While expressing sorrow to learn that Clarke had been the victim of criminals, the UNC leader said he had warned the population that crime would get worse under the PNM because of the ruling party’s alleged “symbiotic” relationship with criminals.