Unite and take back T&T from criminals: Panday

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday said Wednesday the criminal justice system in Trinidad and Tobago has collapsed and the average citizens continues to live in fear. And he called on the nation to unite and take back the country from the criminals.

In a media release the former prime minister said "every limb of protection designed to provide security for citizens has collapsed under this government despite the billions of dollars spent...in the last seven years."

He blamed the national security minister for what he said is a culture of fear that "pervades every section of Trinidad and Tobago and the average citizen, police, prison officer, justice of the peace, judge and magistrate has had to face the criminal element and risk of death."

Panday said criminals are getting bolder because the Manning government has "elevated gang leaders into community leaders and since then, the gangs have taken control."

He noted that the recent murder of a prisoner who was shot at point blank range while he was being escorted by police officers to the Rio Claro police station. He also spoke about attacks prison officers who "are being ambushed inside and outside of the prison walls."

He added, "More witnesses are being killed and intimidated, more cases are collapsing and more criminals are being put back on the streets...There is a new low in the level of criminal activity in the country....Criminals have shown no respect for the law."

Panday said a major problem is that criminals no longer fear being arrested, which makes them more brazen and brutal.

"There are currently over 450,000 cases before the courts in this country, some as much as ten years old. The detection rate is unacceptably low and therefore the conviction rate is appalling," Panday said.

He said, "The government has weakened us by dividing us and the criminals have exploited this. We must unite and take back our country from the criminals."