The Rum Posse met for its end of week lime by Anand and Rihanna at their Longdenville home instead of up at Salybia like the last time. Of course, all the Posse members were present – not a single person misses out on these limes for no reason whatsoever.
There was Big Bottom Beverly and her younger sister, Shirley; Barman; Balkie; Ramesh; Roshan; Sunil. Regardless of where they hosting, Anand and Rihanna always put out a lavish spread, and last weekend was no different.
Businessman Brent Thomas
On the menu was sauteed provision; white rice; pigeon peas; saltfish; stew fish; stew chicken; curry shrimp; curry cascadoo; curry lambie and fresh green salad. Anand’s bar surpassed any previous bar provided either by him and Rihanna or anyone else for that matter, with every possible brand of alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages you could think of.
Unlike the previous week, there was no deliberation as to what to talk about. It was readily decided that the Brent Thomas kidnapping issue continues to be a hot topic, surpassing the US/Israel war against Iran.
Anand: Welcome friends to our home here in Longdenville. Is a long time RiRi and I have not hosted here. Is always up Salybia, so we just decide to keep it on this side.
Big Bottom Beverly: Anand, is true. But we real like it here too. It nice and breezy and so we real looking forward to eating and drinking and old talking. So, on behalf of we little Posse, I say a collective thank you.
I know for sure today go be educational and enjoyable. You see this thing about man’s inhumanity to man, especially as in the case of Brent Thomas. Human beings not easy. When you think the Brent Thomas affair die down, something more does come up.
Shirley: Sis, this Brent Thomas kidnapping is proving to be unforgettable in more ways than one. How humans could treat each other so is really beyond me. If even he did kill somebody, Brent didn’t have to be treated so by both de Barbados police and de Trinidad police. If dey could treat a decent, upright and law-abiding business man like Brent Thomas like dat, you could imagine how dey does treat ah ordinary citizen?
Justice Devindra Rampersad
Barman: Shirley, it really shameful. De man was simply going to Miami to see he cardiologist. Is a wonder after de way he was treated he eh end up with a heart attack. If, God forbid, he did dead, we would ah never know ‘bout dem police behaviour. He eh do nobody nutten; he eh cross nobody. Why dey had to treat him so? Like he was some old criminal?
Balkie: Barman, whether a man is ah ordinary criminal or not, no one is supposed to be treated that way. A man is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. But like dat doh matter to either de Barbados police or de T&T police. To dem two police institution it look like you guilty until proven innocent.
Ramesh: So dat is why police must treat yuh like a dog? Allyuh eh read what Brent Thomas say in he affidavit?
Alfred: What he say?
Ramesh: He say he was handcuffed and dragged across his hotel room in Barbados and placed in a cage at de back of ah police vehicle. No water, no food for half day and he faint several times cooped up there.
After that, he was violently forced onto a plane and end up spending two days in de Maloney Police Station jail. He say it feel like a “black hole” with no source of light, natural or otherwise. He couldn’t tell where he was. He talk about the sickening scent of faeces and urine that assailed his senses.
Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge
And apart from a cold slab of concrete, it had nothing to rest he head or he body on. It had one bulb in de ceiling overhead and he didn’t know if was day or night. From what he say, it was real bad. Like ah cyah even continue.
Big Bottom Beverly: I know how you feeling, Ram. You know he say he was forced to do his numbers in a hole in de ground. De last time I see any prisoner in a cage was in a picture with John Wayne. “True Grit” was de name of de movie, filmed in Colorado, USA in 1968, nearly 60 years ago. I thought the way Brent was treated used to happen in movies only.
Alfred: In this day and age, you mean to tell me it doh have flushing toilets in jail? Who does clean dem holes in de ground? And how often dey does do dat? Is no wonder dem prisoners does get sick so often when dey in jail.
Roshan: Brent Thomas say that when he was eventually released, he had was to surrender his passport; a curfew was imposed on him; and he had to visit de Maraval Police Station three times a week. First time I hear about police imposing curfew on people. As far as I know is de President of de country, on the advice of the Prime Minister, who does approve curfew.
Sunil: Doh mind all dat. It still have a God, because in January 2023 Justice Devindra Rampersad ruled that all the actions of law enforcement – from Brent Thomas’ arrest to his detention and forcible abduction from Barbados were grossly abusive, unconstitutional, unlawful, unnecessary, disproportionate and contravened his constitutional rights.
Former Attorney General of Barbados Dale Marshall
Roshan: The judge seemed really angry. I never hear a judge being ever so critical of law enforcement. For me it also look like the Barbados police was trying to match de savagery of de T&T police to see who could outdo who. Regardless, both of their respective behaviours was reprehensible.
Rihanna: But Sunil, why you acting so surprised about de police behaviour? Is de same thing, whether you in Barbados or Trinidad. I remember my father telling me how long time it was hard to get Trinis to join de police force here in Trinidad and we had to recruit police officers from Barbados. From what Daddy say, de officers from Barbados had to be tall, black and chupidee. What we have now is just a legacy from times past.
Barman: From what I understand, Brent Thomas was being harassed by local police for some time now, even before this shameful action. From September 2022 up to the day he get arrested, it look like local police had it out for Brent.
Before his kidnapping in Barbados, he was arrested in Trinidad. Police, armed to de teeth, went and search his house in Maraval; and at his business place, Specialised Shooters Training Centre Ltd (SSTC), in Aranguez.
Dey didn’t find ah thing. All the police claims that Brent had illegal weapons were unfounded. De man even had a Firearms User’s Licence from de police commissioner for his personal use.
Alfred: Allyuh know what sad? Thomas lose he business and his reputation. He said he went through hell on earth; and on many occasions while in police custody he thought he would have died.
Apparently, they even took him to the Eastern Regional Habilitation Station and put him in a cell with murderers. Why all of this wickedness on one man? Why? Today now they lose de Brent Thomas file.
Imagine the Minister of Defence, Wayne Sturge, say the Brent Thomas file gone missing. It lost! It gone! What that mean for institutional accountability? What that will mean for a potential Commission of Enquiry? De next thing now we hearing about the role played by Ag Commissioner of Police, McDonald Jacob. Suddenly, now we hearing about de role played by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Suzette Martin, and ah set ah other people. It sickening to say the least.
Anand: The only consolation is that both the Barbados government and the Trinidad & Tobago government admit liability. The T&T AG has also issued a public apology to Brent Thomas. When this whole imbroglio over and done with it means that Thomas supposed to get a serious piece ah money from the governments of Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. Plenty more than the $20 million that Vindra’s former accused getting.
Rihanna: While that is true, Anand, no amount of money Brent getting could ever compensate him for the suffering he went through; for the loss of his business and his reputation. The best thing I feel we could do as Posse members is take example from David Rudder’s classic calypso, “Haiti I’m Sorry”, which he did release in 1988 and today say, “Brent Thomas, We Are Sorry”.
Until next week.
