分类： politics

In the wake of two powerful earthquakes that rocked central Venezuela last Wednesday, collapsing structures across the capital Caracas and driving up a growing death toll, Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has publicly voiced deep disappointment over the ruling government’s response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Speaking at a press briefing hosted by the People’s National Movement (PNM) at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Port of Spain on Thursday, Beckles issued sharp criticism of an official statement released by the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, labeling the document “insensitive” and openly questioning whether any senior official had reviewed and vetted the communication before it was made public.

The Opposition Leader extended formal condolences to the affected people and government of Venezuela, emphasizing that the death toll continues to climb as rescue teams pull more victims from the rubble of destroyed buildings. She stressed that moments of international humanitarian crisis demand a response rooted in compassion, solidarity, and clear leadership – standards she said the government’s current statement failed to meet.

Beckles argued that the ruling administration should have laid out the specific details of any assistance Trinidad and Tobago planned to offer to Venezuela immediately after the disaster, rather than releasing a vague, generic statement. She pointed out that other nations across the globe have already extended clear, direct offers of concrete aid to Venezuela, noting that as one of Venezuela’s closest geographic neighbors with a permanent diplomatic mission already operating in Caracas, Trinidad and Tobago is uniquely positioned to offer timely, meaningful support.

She called on the government to move beyond generic words of sympathy and immediately publish a transparent outline of the practical assistance the country is prepared to deploy to help Venezuela respond to the disaster and support its recovery efforts.

Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement has expanded an ongoing high-profile investigation with the addition of a third person taken into custody, authorities confirmed Thursday. As of late Thursday evening, Blue Waters Products Ltd founder Dominic Hadeed and his spouse Genevieve Hadeed remained in police custody following coordinated search and detention operations carried out one day prior.

The newly detained individual is a 69-year-old businesswoman based in Westmoorings, a residential and commercial community in western Trinidad. In an official public update released at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) confirmed the third detention but declined to release her name or explicitly connect her to the investigation targeting the Hadeeds. The update referenced a prior June 24, 2026 statement confirming that two people had been taken into custody in Westmoorings on Wednesday, and unnamed police sources confirmed to local outlet Express that the two detention operations are directly linked.

“She is currently assisting with the ongoing investigative process and no charges have been laid,” the TTPS said of the Westmoorings businesswoman, noting she was taken into custody on Thursday. In line with standard police protocol for active investigations, the agency emphasized that being taken into custody for questioning is not equivalent to a finding of guilt, and no negative assumptions about any individual’s involvement should be drawn.

“The TTPS remains committed to ensuring that all investigative steps are conducted professionally, impartially, and with full respect for the legal and reputational rights of all individuals involved,” the statement read. “As this matter remains active, no further information can be disclosed at this time. The TTPS will continue to provide updates as appropriate and remains steadfast in its duty to uphold the rule of law.”

According to police sources who spoke to Express on condition of anonymity, investigative teams have already requested formal legal guidance to determine what, if any, criminal charges will be filed against Dominic and Genevieve Hadeed. No details about the potential charges or a timeline for concluding the investigative process have been released to the public.

The case has drawn public and political attention, with Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles addressing questions about the detention during a Thursday press conference in Port of Spain. Beckles emphasized that the core priority of the process must be upholding due process and allowing the law to proceed without interference. She also noted that the investigation is unfolding against the backdrop of a currently active national state of emergency, echoing calls for the government to provide additional clarity on the case as it progresses, matching the opposition’s approach to all cases processed under the ongoing emergency declaration.

The investigation’s first public steps unfolded Wednesday morning, when a team of plainclothes and uniformed officers from a specialized TTPS unit arrived at the Hadeeds’ Westmoorings home to execute a judicially approved search warrant. Investigators seized multiple electronic devices during the search, including several laptops, and confirmed that devices belonging to the couple’s adult children were also taken as potential evidence.

Following the residential search, investigators accompanied Dominic Hadeed to his company’s business location in Trincity to conduct a second court-approved search as part of the ongoing enquiries. As of Thursday evening, it remained unclear whether investigators seized any additional evidence from the Trincity business site.

In Wednesday’s initial public statement, the TTPS clarified that all search and detention actions were carried out under valid search warrants issued by the Supreme Court of Judicature, and all operations remained strictly within legal bounds under judicial oversight. The agency repeated its reminder that the execution of search warrants and detainment of individuals for questioning are standard investigative procedures that do not indicate a pre-determination of wrongdoing. “No conclusions should be drawn regarding the status of any individual until investigations are completed and any evidence is properly assessed in accordance with due process,” the TTPS said.

A major political controversy has unfolded in Trinidad and Tobago this week, as Port of Spain South Member of Parliament and opposition figure Keith Scotland has issued a firm denial of any close association with Andre Monteil, former treasurer of the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) and head of the now-defunct Flavorite Foods Ltd. The dispute centers on allegations of professional misconduct tied to a $2.4 million unpaid electricity debt owed by Flavorite Foods to the state-run Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC).

Speaking at an official PNM press conference hosted at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Port of Spain, Scotland pushed back against multiple claims leveled by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who first raised accusations of collusion and improper conduct last week during parliamentary debate. Persad-Bissessar has alleged Scotland, who is a trained barrister, and members of his former legal chambers acted negligently to pursue a so-called “phantom lawsuit” over the outstanding debt, allowing the claim to become statute-barred through false procedural misrepresentations to protect Monteil. The Prime Minister has already ordered a formal probe by the national Fraud Squad and backed T&TEC’s planned legal action against the MP.

Scotland has consistently maintained he has done nothing wrong in the case. Responding to T&TEC’s recently issued pre-action protocol letter threatening formal litigation, Scotland confirmed he has already received the document and will instruct his legal team to mount a formal response. He also criticized the unauthorized leak of the confidential legal letter, noting that the document was circulated to every major media outlet in the country almost immediately after it was delivered, before the ink on the correspondence was even dry. He confirmed he will treat the legal and political allegations against him with the full seriousness and gravity they demand.

Addressing the core claim of a close personal and professional tie to Monteil, Scotland told reporters that he has only met the former PNM official once in his entire life, in a passing, casual setting. “There is absolutely no relationship between myself and Andre Monteil,” Scotland insisted to assembled journalists.

On the procedural claims around the debt recovery lawsuit, Scotland presented official stamped court documentation to back up his assertion that the claim was properly refiled, that an entry of default judgment was correctly processed, and that the matter is currently awaiting a routine query from the court registrar. He also noted that national public health emergency provisions enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic had legally suspended statutory limitation periods for civil claims, invalidating the claim that the debt had become unrecoverable through procedural fault.

Scotland further clarified that he voluntarily suspended his private legal practice when he joined the national Cabinet in July 2024, separating his professional legal work from his political duties.

In the most high-profile rebuke to the Prime Minister, Scotland issued a repeated public challenge to Persad-Bissessar, calling on her to repeat the damaging allegations she made against him in the protected chamber of parliament in a public setting outside the legislature, where he would be able to pursue legal redress for defamation.