Business happy with kidnap bill

Attorney General John Jeremie said the Opposition has agreed to support passage of the Bill. The strengthened Bail Act will also see persons arrested three times for violent crimes being denied bail on the third occasion.

Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) president Paul Quesnel told Newsday he was happy to see Government and the Opposition taking such a firm stance against kidnapping.

However, Quesnel believed that persons arrested for violent crimes should be denied bail on the second rather than the third occasion as proposed by the amended Bail Act. The TTMA president felt that bail should be denied on the second strike, because someone who has committed a violent crime has demonstrated that they were not willing to accept responsibility for their actions and change their ways.

Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Rohan Roop-narine said his organisation was heartened to see Government and Oppo-sition’s accelerated movement on the Bail Bill, and he hoped the new legislation would be on the books in the shortest possible time.

Roopnarine expressed optimism that having agreed on the basic tenets of the amended Bail Act, there would be no partisan politicking by either Government or the Opposition.

San Juan Business Association (SJBA) president Gail Merhair said the SJBA was encouraged to see Tuesday’s consensus between Government and Opposition. She stated that with forward movement taking place on the legislative front, law enforcement agencies must now take the fight to the criminals on the ground and ensure that they are apprehended and brought to justice. Merhair added that all citizens must bear in mind that they have a role to play in winning the war against crime and must play their role.

Quesnel, Roopnarine and Merhair all expressed hope that Tuesday’s agreement would be the first step towards more effective anti-crime legislation being brought to Parliament and passed.

Still outstanding are the controversial Police Reforms Bills package, which the Opposition has previously refused to support until there is constitutional reform.

Jeremie said that when the third round of crime talks takes place, on a date to be fixed by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, he was optimistic that there would be some consensus on these bills.

The bills were debated for a marathon 72 hours in the Lower House on July 24 but were defeated after the Opposition refused to support them.

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday, who led the UNC’s delegation at Tuesday’s talks, gave the assurance that the Opposition would try its best to reach a consensus on the police bills.