标签： Trinidad and Tobago

In a significant development to one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most notorious corruption cases, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has obtained a High Court production order to investigate financial records connected to the defunct LifeSport program. The order, secured in early December 2025, targets 59 companies linked to 104 individuals allegedly involved in the misappropriation of $440 million between 2010 and 2015.

The investigation gained renewed momentum following a three-part investigative series by Express and CCN TV6 last November titled “LifeSport Secrets Revealed.” The breakthrough came largely through the sworn testimony of Ruth Marchan, a former Ministry of Sport insider who participated in the witness protection program. Marchan provided detailed accounts of how government officials, contractors, and criminal elements systematically drained public funds through phantom companies and illicit financial channels.

High Court Justice Mandisa S. Mohammed issued the order under Section 32 of the Proceeds of Crime Act, compelling the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs to produce comprehensive documentation including contracts, payment files, procurement records, cheque registers, and vote books from the specified period. The ministry has requested an extension to comply with the court’s directive, which initially required production within 14 days.

Corporate registry checks revealed that only 18 of the 59 companies under investigation remain active, with 14 struck off the register, two dissolved, and 25 either defunct or untraceable. The companies were connected to various prominent figures including sports personalities, business leaders, journalists, and former ministry employees.

The LifeSport scandal, which erupted in 2014 under the People’s Partnership government, led to the resignation of then-Sports Minister Anil Roberts. A subsequent audit by the Ministry of Finance’s Central Audit Committee uncovered widespread irregularities including procurement violations, overpayments, deviations from cabinet mandates, and possible criminal involvement in program supervision. Despite these findings, the file remains with the TTPS and has not yet been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for formal charges.

In a significant diplomatic development, Trinidad and Tobago has formally aligned with President Donald Trump’s Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, marking a strategic enhancement of the nation’s capabilities against transnational criminal networks. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced this security partnership during a parliamentary address on Friday, detailing her recent participation in the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida.

The Prime Minister revealed her direct dialogue with President Trump, during which she expressed gratitude for U.S. support and reaffirmed Trinidad and Tobago’s commitment to hemispheric security cooperation. Persad-Bissessar articulated the grave challenges posed by sophisticated criminal organizations that facilitate the movement of cocaine, heroin, and synthetic drugs through Caribbean waters, with illegal firearms and illicit funds subsequently permeating local communities.

This coalition enables unprecedented intelligence sharing mechanisms among law enforcement agencies, providing real-time data on trafficking routes, gang leadership, financial networks, and weapon shipments. The partnership further strengthens maritime security through coordinated interdiction operations along critical drug-trafficking corridors, preventing shipments from reaching shorelines.

Persad-Bissessar emphasized that while engaging in this multinational initiative, Trinidad and Tobago maintains absolute sovereignty over national decisions and policies. The collaboration includes comprehensive training programs, technological transfers, and capacity-building initiatives for defense forces and police agencies, enhancing their capabilities in investigating financial crimes and prosecuting criminal networks.

The Prime Minister’s visit yielded substantial diplomatic achievements, including bilateral meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, addressing regional engagement and Venezuela-related developments. Discussions with Energy Secretary Chris Wright prompted immediate commercial interest from Chevron corporation, while conversations with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick focused on infrastructure investment opportunities.

Additional negotiations with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer addressed tariff implications for energy commodities. The Prime Minister also advanced Trinidad and Tobago’s associate membership bid in Mercosur through discussions with Paraguayan leaders and reinforced defense cooperation during meetings with US Southern Command’s General Donovan, securing enhanced support in cybersecurity, forensics, and ballistics.

Persad-Bissessar characterized the coalition membership as a transformative development for Caribbean nations historically overlooked in global security discussions, noting ‘This time we were heard. This time we were seen. This time we were invited to participate.’

A landmark legal opinion prepared for the Trinidad and Tobago government has concluded that U.S. military strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean constitute lawful acts of self-defense under international law. The analysis, authored by renowned British King’s Counsel Harish Salve of Blackstone Chambers, provides significant legal justification for operations targeting narcotics networks allegedly supported by the Venezuelan government.

The legal assessment, commissioned by Attorney General John Jeremie, addresses the complex intersection of national security, non-state actors, and international jurisprudence. Central to Salve’s argument is Article 51 of the UN Charter, which recognizes the inherent right of self-defense. The opinion contends that modern security threats increasingly emanate from non-state actors operating with state support, requiring updated interpretations of international law.

Salve’s analysis establishes that when criminal organizations operate with governmental support, their actions become attributable to the sponsoring state. The opinion references specific allegations against the Maduro government, including providing diplomatic passports to traffickers, offering diplomatic cover for illicit transport operations, and partnering with armed groups like Colombia’s FARC guerrillas.

The legal framework acknowledges that affected states may implement preventive measures—including vessel destruction—when facing narcotics trafficking that threatens national security. However, Salve emphasizes that such actions must meet established international law principles of necessity and proportionality.

Regarding Trinidad and Tobago’s potential liability, the opinion clarifies that the nation would not automatically bear responsibility for U.S. operations conducted in or near its waters. International law principles developed by the International Law Commission indicate that a state is only responsible if it knowingly assists another state in committing wrongful acts.

The document further notes that Trinidad and Tobago itself suffers significantly from regional drug trafficking, having expended over $60 billion on national security during the past decade while continuing to combat smuggling networks and manage migration flows resulting from Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis.

Salve’s opinion characterizes the global narcotics trade as a fundamental threat to national sovereignty, referencing UN treaties that recognize connections between drug trafficking, money laundering, arms trading, and terrorism financing. The analysis concludes that the profits from illicit drug operations frequently fund violence and governmental destabilization, imperiling the security of affected nations.

A heated parliamentary exchange unfolded yesterday between Energy Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal and Opposition MP Stuart Young concerning Heritage Petroleum Company Limited’s awarding of a lease operatorship agreement to TN Ramnauth & Co Ltd.

The confrontation began when Young demanded disclosure regarding how many Lease Operator Agreements or Farm Out Agreements Heritage Petroleum had granted to TN Ramnath and Company Ltd or its affiliated entities since May 1, 2025. Minister Moonilal initially noted he had previously addressed this inquiry on March 6, prompting Young to question whether the minister was deliberately withholding information about contracts awarded to “his friend, TN Ramnath.”

After House Speaker Jagdeo Singh intervened, directing Moonilal to provide a substantive response, the energy minister confirmed Heritage Petroleum had issued exactly one lease operatorship agreement to the specified company. Moonilal vehemently denied any personal relationship with TN Ramnath, asserting the company had no special connections to anyone within the government.

The minister then launched a counteroffensive, accusing Young of harboring malicious intentions against TN Ramnath while favoring his own associates. Moonilal revealed that on May 6, 2021, while Young served as energy minister, the Legal Department had forwarded recommendations for lease operatorship agreements to six companies including TN Ramnath & Co.

According to Moonilal’s account, Young approved five of the six companies on May 10, 2021, withholding only one sub-licence due to unspecified concerns requiring further investigation. Moonilal criticized Young for apparently continuing these inquiries three years later into 2025, characterizing this delay as evidence of “malice, vindictiveness and wickedity.”

The minister detailed that upon assuming office on May 3, 2025, he approved TN Ramnath’s agreement on July 14 after a three-month review process. Moonilal emphasized that legal authorities confirmed Young had never formally raised any concerns about the company during this period.

The exchange concluded with Young attempting to reference an ongoing corruption case involving both Moonilal and TN Ramnath, but the Speaker promptly ruled this question out of order.

Trinidad and Tobago’s parliamentary session descended into chaos yesterday as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition MPs exchanged explosive allegations of connections to international drug cartels. The heated exchange occurred during the Prime Minister’s address regarding her recent participation in President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas summit in Florida.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar launched a scathing attack against the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, directly accusing them of exacerbating the nation’s crime epidemic through alleged ties to narcotics and weapons trafficking networks. In a dramatic allegation, she stated that PNM’s headquarters, Balisier House in Port of Spain, was constructed using drug proceeds, describing the building as ‘a gravestone to drug money, paedophilia and theft.’

The Opposition responded with vehement denials and counter-accusations. Opposition MP Colm Imbert questioned whether the Prime Minister was aware that two United National Congress (UNC) operatives had allegedly diverted funds from the Piarco International Airport construction project to Colombian drug cartels, a case that previously attracted U.S. extradition requests.

The parliamentary decorum deteriorated as Government MPs expressed support through loud desk-thumping while Opposition members repeatedly invoked Standing Order 48(4) against using offensive language about fellow members. House Speaker Jagdeo Singh intervened multiple times, requesting neutral language from the Prime Minister, who maintained she had not specifically named any individuals.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar presented stark crime statistics from the previous administration’s tenure, reporting 124,062 recorded crimes between 2015-2025, including over 5,000 murders, 9,000 sexual assaults, and 11,000 robberies. She accused PNM leadership of enriching themselves while their constituencies suffered from high crime rates, unemployment, and poor infrastructure.

The Prime Minister defended her government’s participation in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition as essential to combating transnational crime networks, suggesting that expanded American anti-crime presence in the region had made Opposition members apprehensive about potential exposure of their alleged connections.

Trinidad and Tobago’s ongoing state of emergency has led to significant law enforcement actions, with authorities reporting 373 total arrests during the initial ten-day period. Police officials confirmed dozens of preventive detentions, including individuals who had been previously held during earlier emergency measures, though specific numbers remain undisclosed.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Suzette Martin provided operational updates from the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, revealing that 39 individuals have been subjected to preventive detention orders, with judicial approval granted for 16 of these cases. Investigators are examining potential gang affiliations among detainees, including those with prior emergency detention history.

“Our investigations into gang activities are ongoing, and it would be premature to definitively identify gang leaders at this stage,” Martin stated, emphasizing the early phase of the emergency period.

The Trinidad & Tobago Police Service has executed 943 nationwide operations, resulting in 66 criminal charges. Security forces have seized 18 firearms, 949 rounds of ammunition, and substantial drug quantities including 720 grams of cocaine, over 230 kilograms of marijuana, 88 marijuana trees, and 1.45 grams of ecstasy.

Addressing community reports of unofficial curfews, Martin clarified that no official curfews have been implemented. However, she explained that emergency powers authorize police to conduct road checks, patrols, and enforcement operations in areas where intelligence indicates public safety threats. Enhanced police presence in Sangre Grande and Eastern Division communities responds to intelligence regarding gang movements, illegal firearms activity, and emerging criminal networks.

Regarding potential international cooperation, Martin declined to comment on whether US officials provided a ‘persons of interest’ list to Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander. The Minister previously acknowledged US support while citing national security concerns preventing detailed disclosures. Martin emphasized that such operational intelligence falls within the Police Commissioner’s purview and remains confidential during ongoing investigations.