Head of the Islamic Front Umar Abdullah is giving Government until Monday to act on the continued detention of five Trinidadians in Venezuela, although the men have reportedly been freed having served their time.
He gave the deadline after an impromptu meeting with acting Attorney General Stuart Young last evening, after Abdullah and the wives of the five men had earlier made a failed attempt to meet Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses at the ministry’s International Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain, offices.
At about 2.30 pm, Abdullah and the women attempted to enter the reception area of the building but were blocked by security and told they could not enter the building. However, after a few minutes, under the watchful eyes of members of the media the group was allowed in to the reception desk, but was then told there was no official to see them.
“Under the last government and this Government, every time we come here this is always the excuse,” Saadiqua Pitilal, wife of one of the detained men, Dominic Pitilal, said, noting there appeared to be discrimination because they are Muslims.
After insisting on seeing someone, the group was told to wait as an official would be down shortly. But after another wait and no official in sight, they left and proceeded to a spot adjacent to the Parliament building.
“I will make an attempt to speak with a Government minister and if not, remain outside the Parliament building [until] the men are safely on a flight to T&T,” an adamant Abdullah said at that point.
As he stood outside Parliament, Abdullah was first met by a police officer who said Moses was not in the House. He then met with a parliamentary protocol officer who had a discussion with him. At about 4 pm Abdullah was escorted to a room in the Parliament building where he met with Young on the pressing issue.
Abdullah told Young the men, although being freed by a Venezuelan judge last Saturday, remained detained in a Venezuelan prison. He said officials in the Venezuelan prison claim they are awaiting orders from the chancellor there, who is also the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, to effect the release.
“But the judge has already given that order! Are we seeing here that the Venezuelan minister has more authority than the judge and the court?” Abdullah asked.
He said the Government now needs to play a bigger role in getting the men back home.
Abdullah said Young told him Government would make every attempt to address the matter urgently. Abdullah said he was satisfied with Young's response and will give the Government until Monday before he determines his next course of action.
On Tuesday, the Office of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, via a release, said five men, who were detained in Venezuela since 2014 on terrorism-related charges, were subject to a judicial process in the Venezuela courts in accordance with due process.
According to the statement, these legal proceedings were recently completed and the men—Dominic Pitilal, Wade Charles, Leslie Daisley, Andre Battersby and Asim Luqman—were found guilty of certain criminal offences and sentenced.
At recent talks in May between T&T and Venezuelan leaders, Government officials asked that the matter be expedited during discussions on repatriation of people detained in each country on immigration issues.