Trinidad and Tobago businessman Brent Thomas is set to enter negotiations for a potentially multimillion-dollar settlement, after his government in Port of Spain abruptly withdrew its appeal against a Trinidadian High Court ruling that found his detention and removal from Barbados unlawful.
Thomas, who has a lawsuit before the Barbados High Court, has expressed concern about the speed at which it is progressing, following Barbados’ admission of liability and its concession that officers of The Barbados Police Service acted unlawfully in his controversial arrest in Bridgetown and his subsequent return to Port of Spain in October 2022.
The licensed gun dealer, who owns Specialist Shooters Training Centre Limited, is claiming substantial damages from the Barbadian authorities.
In a new development, Trinidad and Tobago has backtracked on an earlier decision to challenge the High Court’s judgment in Thomas’s case, paving the way for settlement talks that could see compensation run into millions.
A letter to Thomas’s lawyers dated September 16 and signed by Attorney General John Jeremie – a copy of which was obtained by Barbados TODAY – confirmed the discontinuation of two appeals against the businessman as a result of the Trinidadian High Court’s findings. Jeremie notified Thomas that, with the appeal cases now withdrawn, he would instruct the Solicitor General to notify the Court of Appeal accordingly.
“I also refer to the High Court judgment of Justice Rampersad delivered on April 25, 2023, in which the Honourable Court declared that all search warrants executed against Mr Thomas and his company were unconstitutional, unlawful, arbitrary, unnecessary and disproportionate,” he wrote.
The attorney general further recalled that the court found that the arrest, detention and forcible removal of Thomas from Barbados constituted a gross abuse that was unconstitutional, unlawful and contrary to the rule of law. The court also held that the criminal proceedings brought against the businessman amounted to an abuse of process and a breach of his constitutional rights.
The judge granted Thomas a permanent stay of all criminal proceedings against him and awarded constitutional damages for the violations of his fundamental rights.
“It is the State’s intention to enter into good faith negotiations with Mr Thomas and Specialist Shooters Training Centre Ltd, regarding constitutional damages and costs, both in the High Court and Court of Appeal, in recognition of the violations found by the High Court,” Jeremie wrote to Thomas’ lawyers.
The Trinidadian attorney general went on to apologise to Thomas, on behalf of the State, for “the ordeal” he endured and any reputational harm caused. He also apologised for any inconvenience resulting from his decision.
Thomas, who was arrested by armed Barbadian police at his hotel room on October 5, 2022, was detained before being taken to Grantley Adams International Airport, where he was handed over to two Trinidad and Tobago Police Service officers. He was then taken to Trinidad on an aircraft linked to the Regional Security Services and later faced seven firearm-related charges, including alleged possession of illegal firearms and explosives.
He denied the charges, saying he had permits from the police commissioner. (EJ)
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