Manning
wants to replace Privy Council
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
05 06 07
Prime Minister Patrick Manning wants hangings
to be resumed in Trinidad and Tobago.
He said the Privy Council, sitting thousands of
miles away in London, had from time to time put
impediments in the way of hangings being carried
out here.
However, he said, he was hoping that after the
next general election-which was not too far away-his
new government would get the required numbers to
pass legislation making the Caribbean Court of
Justice (CCJ) the final appellant court.
"It is high time we have our own appellant
court," he told a receptive audience at the
fourth Public Consultation on Crime at the Signal
Hill Secondary Comprehensive School on Friday night.
Manning recalled that when the UNC was in government
they informed Caribbean governments that they were
in support of the CCJ, hence the reason why it
was sited here, but the moment that party was out
of government it withdrew its support.
"You will get the opportunity not too long
from now to decide and I wait with bated breath
to see what you will do," he told his audience
which included National Security Minister Martin
Joseph, THA Chief Secretary Orville London and
top officials from the protective services.
Manning said like many people, "we believe
that capital punishment is an essential element
in crime fighting".
He said as bad as the criminals were they were
afraid of their life being taken away.
"An essential element of that package has
to be the return of capital punishment. I am a
strong supporter of capital punishment," he
stressed.
He said the police recently adopted
a new policy that "if you confront me with
a gun it is a fight to the finish. So if you
confront the police
with a gun it is a fight to the finish. There is
no other way. One thing the criminals are afraid
of is death.
"If you develop a proper relationship with
your maker, you no longer have to be afraid of
death. I am not afraid of death. If you ask me
I am not afraid of death and if the good Lord decides
to take my life so be it, but while I remain I
would be a thorn in the side of the criminals in
this country," he said.
The Prime Minister also revealed government's
determination to fight drug trafficking, which,
according to a recent UN Report, was the single
most important reason for the rise of crime and
the deterioration of the levels of security enjoyed
by citizens and visitors alike.
He said a team from Scotland Yard who worked in
Trinidad and Tobago in 1995 had advised that this
country was small enough to eradicate the drug
trade.
He added that the first step was to install ten
radar sites, two in Tobago with a command centre
in Port of Spain to give 360-degree coverage of
the country's coastline. He said the high quality
coastal radar system bought from Israel also encompasses
the islands of Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines
and St Lucia to the north of Trinidad and Tobago
where two sites were also installed.
He noted that surveillance could be done as far
north as Martinique. Each radar cost US$1.5 million.
In addition, he said, the two C26 surveillance
aircraft were being upgraded and four armed helicopters
were being purchased, as well as the installation
of an Air Traffic Control radar system to work
in conjunction with the Israel system to track
low flying aircraft.
In terms of sea surveillance, Manning outlined
that three fast patrol boats, each 89.9 metres
long were being purchased, the first to be delivered
in March 2009; the conversion of two Coast Guard
vessels in the short term for military activity
at a cost of $29 million, the purchase of six interceptor
fast patrol boats and the upgrade of the Coast
Guard bases in Trinidad and in Tobago.
That is a very formidable arsenal and the drugs
dealers have already began to run, he assured his
listeners. audience.
Trinidad
Express
Sunday, May 6th 2007
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©2007 Trinidad Express. All Rights Reserved.
