One year after bombings:

PORT-OF-SPAIN Mayor Murchison Brown and Downtown Owners Merchants Association (DOMA) president Gregory Aboud yesterday expressed concern that no one has been arrested to date, for the series of bomb blasts in Port-of-Spain last year, and wondered what has become of a draft evacuation plan for the city. Yesterday was the first anniversary of the first explosion at the corner of Queen and Frederick Streets.

Speaking at a small ceremony at the site of that explosion, Brown said police investigations into the bomb blasts are continuing but “no one has been arrested for that act.” “I guess we’ll just have to wait until the police are in a position to actually let us know, if they have arrested anyone and what the next step would be,” the mayor added.

Brown condemned those responsible for the blasts and declared that their nefarious plans would not be allowed to succeed.

Aboud said none of the explosions should have been allowed to happen, and he was not calling for vengeance to be exacted on the perpetrator or perpetrators of those acts. He said the population should “pray for their (perpetrators’) mercy” and hope that those individuals see the error of their ways. Noting that a robbery occurred on Charlotte Street hours earlier, Aboud said crime would act as a “death march” for the city, if the police did not step in and play their rightful role as the referee for law and order.

Both men said while they were part of discussions on a draft evacuation plan for Port-of-Spain in times of emergency, they had no idea what happened to that plan which was being handled by the Ministry of Works and Transport.

Brown said while some people are more apprehensive about coming into Port-of-Spain, some 300,000 people still come to the city on a daily basis to conduct their business. Brown and Aboud said citizens must take inspiration from Yvonne McIvor who lost a leg in the first blast but overcame that trauma through courage and faith.

Brown said in addition to more municipal police officers patrolling the city, National Security Minister Martin Joseph has given the assurance that additional security cameras would be placed in other parts of the city in August. Last month, DOMA launched a 16-camera surveillance system covering Charlotte Street and other nearby streets.

Independent Senator Noble Khan called for a public inquiry into the bomb blasts.