PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The case against the President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGO’s, David Abdullah, who was arrested last Friday following a clash between police and protestors outside the Parliament, has been adjourned to January 13 next year.
Attorney Prakesh Ramadar, who is representing Abdullah, told reporters that he had made an application for the matter to be heard by the High Court. He said he was also questioning whether the charge of obstructing a free passage way is a waste of State resources.
Abdullah, who is on TT$500 (US$83) bail, is liable to a fine of TT$200 (US$33), if he is found guilty.
He was arrested last Friday as protestors demanded the withdrawal of legislation the Patrick Manning government said is aimed at bring about equity in the payment of property taxes.
Prime Minister Manning refused to comment on the issue at a news conference on Monday and Abdullah told reporters following his brief court appearance that he would be taking his protest action to the Parliament itself.
“We are going to be inside the Parliament this afternoon. Today we are going to be looking at them (Government legislators) in their faces when they vote,” he added.
Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert said an investigation had been launched in the allegations of police brutality during the protest march.
Finance Minister Karen Nunez Tesheria, who first made mention of the property tax when she delivered the national budget in September, told legislators on Friday that the measure was aimed at bringing about equity in the payment of the tax among property owners.
“These inequities are even more prevalent in the boroughs and cities under the Municipal Corporation Act of 1990 where similar residential buildings are charged different rates of tax on the annual taxable rates.”
She told Parliament that the taxes range from two per cent to 10 per cent and that “in addition persons who have constructed buildings without applying for a mortgage and are currently under the land and building system still pay TT$10 (US$1.36) for the land only since the buildings are not on the assessment role”.
But opposition legislators have accused the government of failing to discuss the tax with stakeholders and that the measure was in response to the tight economic conditions prevailing in the country as a result of the “reckless spending by the government in hosting two international conferences here this year”.
