The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has launched an investigation following another incident at sea involving the crew of a vessel from Grenada.
According to reports out of Grenada, the crew of the Grenadian vessel, “Rainia” that travels weekly to Trinidad and Tobago to conduct trade, claimed that its members encountered a “nightmare” experience with the TT Coast Guard, which resulted in the physical assault and hospitalization of at least one crew member.
It’s reported that eight crew members on the vessel were met with hostility by coast guard officers last week, and this reportedly escalated to the assault of the crew’s captain and one crew member. The report states that the crew member was seriously injured, requiring surgery.
The Grenada Broadcasting Network said earlier this week that the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard performed a routine check. According to the vessel’s operator, Keith Joseph, the crew was met with aggression. One officer reportedly used obscene language and pointed a gun in the direction of the crew.
“My crew members said, you have to be careful pointing that gun because you know it had an incident where a kid was accidentally shot and killed, and that made it even worse,” said Joseph.
Joseph said the boat’s captain was pulled off by a coast guard member and slapped and kicked. A second crew member, who had voiced concerns over the officer’s gun use, was beaten.
The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard said it is aware of the reports in response.
“The coast guard takes all allegations of this nature very seriously because they affect public perception, which may lead to a breakdown in trust that is a key component for its mission success. As a result, the coast guard launched an immediate investigation on the same morning of the incident with the view to determining the facts of what occurred.”
In a statement, the coast guard said the ongoing investigation would involve all parties concerned by the time of its completion.
“The coast guard wishes to assure the public that all efforts are being made to ensure that this matter is speedily resolved.”
“The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard continues to provide border security and other services in the face of the threat of COVID-19 in order to maintain the safety and security of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago through the conduct of maritime security and safety patrols within our area of operations,” the statement added.
