Government tables bill to freeze assets of people suspected of being associated with terrorist groups

The Trinidad & Tobago government is moving to give the Attorney General authority to ask a High Court judge to freeze the assets of individuals where there are suspicions of an association with terrorism. 

A bill outlining the details is going to be tabled Friday in the House of Representatives, titled the Miscellaneous Provisions (Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago and Anti-Terrorism) Bill 2012.

The Attorney General currently has the power to ask a High Court judge to freeze assets of entities, once there are grounds to believe that the entity “has committed, or participated in the commission of a terrorist act”, or “is knowingly acting on behalf of, at the direction of, or in association with” an entity identified as terrorist.

The proposed bill would extend that to individuals. The Newsday newspaper reported Friday that Clause 4(e) of the bill seeks to delete the limitations by inserting a new phrase making clear that the power is “in respect of an entity, or individual, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the entity or individual” is tied to terrorism. 

The new legislation also proposes to give police and customs officers more authority to seize property of alleged terrorists.