Plot to kill T & T PM, 4 held under detention order

Ashmead Choate is being held under a detention order for his alleged role in a conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Housing and Environment Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma.

Choate is a graduate of University of  Madina, Saudi Arabia and University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad.

Detention order 238, issued for Choate, of  Princes Town, states Choate has been identified as “the mastermind behind a plot to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago and cause major panic”.  Three other men, Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis, Shane Crawfowd and Chionesu Luqman, are also now in custody under detention orders.

At a news conference held at the National Security Ministry’s Temple Court headquarters on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, Sandy said he signed detention orders “for four individuals who are in police custody with respect to an assassination plot against high-ranking officials of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, including our Prime Minister.”

In the case of the four persons, now being held under detention orders, Sandy said consideration is being given to charging them under the Anti-Terrorism Act among other laws.

Reminded that the state of emergency ends on December 5 and Government, Sandy said, “By then, we should have sufficient evidence to pursue the matters. If we don’t, then they have to be released.”

Choate is also the principal of the Darul Qur’an Wal Hadith Islamic School, of Calcutta No 2, Freeport. He is married, in his early 50s, with a son, and daughter who died recently of cancer.

He studied in Saudi Arabia and while his khutbahs (sermons) are considered controversial, many in the Islamic community said they were shocked to learn of the man’s arrest.

Many said he was incapable of the assassination allegations being made by Persad-Bissessar and Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs.

At the family home at Mathilda Village, Princes Town, the man’s son said he was told not to speak about his father’s detention at a police station in north Trinidad, after his arrest on Monday.

However, many in the community said while his kuthbahs (sermons) were controversial, he was no threat.

Umar Abdullah, head of the Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (Islamic Front) said the man could be considered “moderate’ in his views.

“He would have nothing to do with this kind of thing. There is nothing tangible in this (and) the government is grasping at straws and our brothers are being held against their will.”

At the Islamic private school Friday, an official told the Sunday Express the claims being made about the principal were “ridiculous”.

The official said, “This man’s life has been seeing about the school and teachers. It is about educating the children to become good and disciplined Muslims.”

The official said: “We are baffled by this. He is here every day of the week from 7 a.m to 2 p.m. When will he have time to do anything? We have been doing dua (prayers) for him constantly, the staff and the children. This is a good and helpful person. It must be a mistake.”