Opposition activist Devant Maharaj yesterday expressed concern over the fact that almost a year later the T&T Defence Force is yet to determine what action will be taken in the matter involving children photographed with high-powered military guns at the Cumuto army facility on October 31, 2015.
In a statement yesterday, the former government minister commended the T&T Police Service “for the alacrity which they displayed in apprehending one of the two teenagers that were caught brandishing guns in a car that went viral on the internet.”
He said: “It was truly remarkable that within hours of the video going viral the police had tracked downed one of misguided youths and the arrest of other was imminent.”
Maharaj said it was amazing that almost a year has passed since the incident at Camp Cumuto.
“On March 25, 2017, the TTDF Military Board of enquiry concluded that procedures were not followed to allow the children to handle the high powered military guns.
“On June 3, 2017 the TTDF said the children were not allowed to handle high-powered military guns belonging to it. Yet despite these conclusions by the TTDF no further action has been announced,” he said.
He said in the recent case of the young men video taped with the guns, they were obviously from challenged communities and the faced the full brunt of law, compared to the children in the other incident who he said “have received no sanction for what appears a similar crime.”
“Is it that poor people children are punished for laws they break but the rich politician’s children are not similarly punished?” he asked.
Maharaj added: “The TTDF has to act now on this issue, it can delay it no longer given the arrest of the Chaguanas youth.”