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A screengrab of a robbery by bandits dressed as police at a home in Chase Village, on Saturday. –

POLICE are advising the public to, as much a possible, comply with instructions given by armed individuals to “minimise injury or loss of life.”

This after several recent incidents where people dressed as police officers attempted to enter homes or commit robbery.

In a statement on Tuesday, the police assured the public it was actively pursuing leads in the robbery in the Central Division on Saturday and all other like reports, where the perpetrators were dressed in police wear.

Around 4.40pm on Saturday, owner of the R Maye Hardware, Double Palm Guest House chains and Hanggers Extreme Restaurant and Bar, Rajendra Maye, was robbed of money and jewellery at his Chase Village, Chaguanas home.

He said around 4.40 pm four armed men dressed in police uniforms entered his home, tied up his wife and daughter’s boyfriend, and took daughter to get the family’s valuables at gunpoint.

Also, over the weekend security footage circulated on WhatsApp showing men in police uniforms driving to a house in Cascade and asking the owner to let them in. The owner refused and the men left in a waiting car.

There was also an incident on August 10 where three armed suspects, allegedly dressed in police uniforms robbed two truck drivers in Morvant of hundreds of cases of alcoholic beverages.

The statement said, “When approached by an armed individual, if there is an opportune time so to do, you can place an immediate call to 999, leave the call running and during the call mention your location and the type of vehicle the persons are using, don’t hang up the phone.”

It suggested victims could also call a police station.

It advised that, on most occasions, when police officers execute a search warrant at a home, there were usually officers dressed in the grey and blue uniform, and marked police vehicles with sirens and flashing lights were used.

“TTPS-issued badges are worn by officers and police officers who are known in the area and have long-standing relationships within the community are also present to give legitimacy to the exercise.”

It added that it was an offence to impersonate a police officer according to Section 62 of the Police Service Act Chapter 15:01.

The Act said: A person, other than a police officer, who without the written authority of the Commissioner –

(a) puts on or assumes, either in whole or in part, the uniform, name, designation or description of a police officer, or a uniform, name, or designation, resembling and intended to resemble the uniform, name or designation of a police officer; or

(b) in any way pretends to be a police officer for any purpose which he would not by the law be entitled to do of his own authority

is liable on summary conviction to a fine of thirty thousand dollars and to imprisonment for three years.

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Tobago

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, centre, at a meeting on Tuesday with China Railway Construction Ltd. –

Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and a team from the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) on Tuesday met officials from China Railway Construction Ltd, the main contractor for the $1.2 billion airport expansion project.

Augustine confirmed the meeting in a Facebook post. Also attending the meeting were electoral representative for Bon Accord/Crown Point Joel Sampson and Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Trevor James.

Augustine said, “We met with China Railway today as we seek to protect the interests of the residents in Crown Point that are being forced from ancestral lands for the airport development.

“Additionally, the THA has been present at all the meetings held among the parties/stakeholders as we seek to resolve this matter in the interest of the residents of Crown Point and by extension the people of Tobago. The next meeting of stakeholders will be tomorrow.”

Tuesday’s meeting came less than two weeks after families in Zone D of the project, on Crompston Trace Extension, Bon Accord were left stunned as China Railway workers, accompanied by police, entered their homes on August 11 in an eviction attempt. Furniture and other items were removed and left at the side of the road. Tensions flared between residents and China Railway workers as THA secretaries and assemblymen gathered to show residents their support.

But after hours of heated confrontation, residents were allowed to stay until the matter is resolved in the court.

The Judiciary confirmed on August 12 that “as a result of hearings before the court on August 8 and 9, an undertaking was given by the Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries through the Attorney General of TT not to issue a Warrant of Possession pursuant to Section 30 of the Land Acquisition Act against the occupiers and/or owners of Plot Number N61A, Bon Accord, Tobago, said to belong now or formerly to Jocelyn Mc Kenna, Horace Henry and others. That undertaking continues until August 26, 2022.”

Augustine said the THA stands with the residents in their fight for respect and compensation from the State.

The National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco) is managing the project and has put aside $300 million for the land-acquisition process.

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door Euritha Tjan A Way PARAMARIBO — “Wie kennis heeft moet het delen en als ik mijn steentje kan bijdragen,

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Attorney Christopher Townsend has chided the prosecution for its failure to disclose key documents in the Noel Maitland murder case, which has frustrated his firm’s attempts to file a bail application for the incarcerated cop.

“I am extremely disappointed in how it is the prosecution is toying with the rights of the accused man,” Townsend told Loop News on Tuesday.

“A long time ago, there was a failure to disclose and the Privy Council slapped the DPP’s [Director of Public Prosecutions] office across their face. The ruling suggested that they had a duty to disclose or declare; this new approach that is being taken by them is down a slippery road in terms of what is justice,” he argued.

Townsend was referring to the case of Randall v R where the Lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council dealt with the issue of prosecutorial conduct on April 16, 2002. The Privy Council affirmed that: “[T]he right of a criminal defendant to a fair trial is absolute… The right to a fair trial is one to be enjoyed by the guilty as well as the innocent, for a defendant is presumed to be innocent until proved to be otherwise in a fairly conducted trial.”

It is against this background that Townsend expressed surprise at the actions of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the murder case involving Maitland, who appeared in court on Monday on a charge of murder in relation to the disappearance of his girlfriend, social media influencer Donna-Lee Donaldson.

During the proceedings, several witness statements were withheld from being served on the defence because of a reported attempt to pervert the course of justice in at least one instance, prosecutors alleged.

“We are quite surprised by this, having served in the office of the DPP myself…this is something new to me, this kind of unlawful strategic movement. He has a right to see what is against him, it is not the prosecution’s function to hide evidence from the accused, that is not their function, not as I understand it,” said Townsend, who is representing the accused cop.

The police constable has been in custody since his arrest on July 27 in relation to Donaldson’s disappearance. Townsend said that the defence lawyers need more disclosure to be able to properly advise Maitland.

Townsend declared the behaviour of the prosecutors as a dark harbinger, heralding “a dark day within the history of our justice system”.

“The prosecution claims that the information is already disclosed in the statements that they gave to us — the pr?cis of the facts — [but] often times it has been my experience that what is contained in the statement is not what is given in this pr?cis of the facts, and so the statements are what is relied upon to confirm what it is the witness has said,” Townsend said.

A pr?cis is a way of summarising in which the tone, proportions, and meaning of the original text are maintained. A pr?cis summarises a reading that has been completed.

On Monday, the matter was stood down to allow the Crown to review materials and make submissions to the defence. During the proceedings, the Crown indicated that it wanted to ensure the protection of witnesses.

Maitland is accused of the murder of Donaldson, who was reportedly last seen at his New Kingston apartment on July 11.

She was reported missing on July 13. The police had indicated that investigations concluded that Donaldson was killed on July 12 between 4pm and 8pm. They stated that this was supported by forensic evidence and technology but noted that a motive has not yet been established for the killing.

Maitland was on Monday remanded until September 16.

— Claude Mills

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