By Stabroek News

Copyright stabroeknews

(Trinidad Express) Attorney General John Jeremie, SC, has issued a public apology to firearm dealer Brent Thomas, acknowledging the “gross abuse of power” he endured when he was unlawfully detained in Barbados and forcibly returned to this country.

In a significant reversal, the State has officially withdrawn its appeal of a High Court ruling that had found the actions against Thomas to be unconstitutional.

The decision was formalised in a letter dated September 16, where the Attorney General’s office signaled its intent to enter into “good faith negotiations” with Thomas and his company, Specialist Shooters Training Centre Limited, to determine a settlement for constitutional damages and legal costs.

“On behalf of the State, I apologise for the ordeal that Mr. Thomas has endured and any reputational damage caused by these proceedings,” Jeremie’s letter stated.

This move comes after a 2023 ruling by High Court Justice Devindra Rampersad, who had not only found Thomas’s detention and removal to be an abuse of power, but also declared that all search warrants executed against him and his company were unconstitutional.

Justice Rampersad’s judgment had also permanently stayed all criminal proceedings against Thomas, including charges for possession of prohibited weapons.

Following Justice Rampersad’s decision, the State, along with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had filed an appeal.

The matter was heard by Justices of Appeal Prakash Moosai, Charmaine Pemberton, and Mira Dean-Armorer on July 24, 2024.

During that hearing, the State’s lead attorney, Peter Knox, KC, conceded that Thomas’s arrest in Barbados was unlawful and should have followed proper extradition procedures.

However, the State had argued that Justice Rampersad went too far by staying the criminal charges entirely.

Thomas’s legal team, led by Senior Counsel Fyard Hosein, countered that police had acted in bad faith from the start, emphasising that the businessman had valid permits for the imported weapons and grenades, some of which were intended for use by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Defence Force.

With the State’s withdrawal of the appeal, the Court of Appeal will now be notified that the matter has been discontinued.

Thomas, who has also initiated legal proceedings in Barbados to identify those responsible for his detention there, is now in a position to negotiate for a potentially substantial sum in damages from the government.

He was arrested in Barbados in October 2022 and returned to this country based on warrants issued in Trinidad and Tobago related to firearm-related charges.

Thomas was detained by heavily armed Barbadian police at the hotel in which he was staying, while preparing to travel to the United States for a medical appointment.

He was then handed over to Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) officers at the Grantley Adams International Airport and subsequently flown back to Trinidad and Tobago.