Bailiff gets kidnap threats for doing his job

A BAILIFF in central Trinidad is calling for a thorough investigation into ongoing threats made against him and his family. According to Ramkarran Ramparass, a licenced bailiff, he believes the threats stem from action taken against another central businessman on whom he had to levy last month. Ramparass says he was hired by the owner of a hardware store in Chaguanas to remove a burger cart that was illegally vending at the front of the hardware store. He had the cart towed away on October 27. Prior to moving the cart, the owner of the cart and four other persons in his company, threatened Ramparass saying they were going to ensure that his family was kidnapped and promised that the police were going to search his home. Since that day, Ramparass said he has received numerous threatening phone calls on his cellular phone from an anonymous caller. He has since reported the threats to the police.

However, he said the “last straw” for him was yesterday when six police cars lined the front of his Freeport home. The officers, according to Ramparass, displayed a search warrant and indicated that they had come to search his home. “The officers said they had information that I was in possession of an illegal firearm. I allowed them to search and they were very cooperative. They were very decent in conducting their search, but it was extremely humiliating for my family. My wife and children are traumatised and embarrassed.” Ramparass said the officers, after searching his home for almost half-an-hour hour, did not find anything and left. “ I am more concerned than I ever was before. The threat to have the police search my home has already come to pass. I don’t want to wait until they kidnap my children or my wife and then wait to expose the matter. It is certainly getting out of hand.” said Ramparass. He continued, “I need these people to stop harassing me and my family. I am only doing my job, a job that I was hired to do.”