By RICHARDSON DHALAI Thursday, February 28 2013

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SPEAKING OUT: Outspoken pastor Clive Dottin, speaks about international assassins operating in TT, during the funeral service on Tuesday for murdered ...

SAYING he is not afraid and is prepared to lay down his life for his country, Seventh Day Adventist pastor Clive Dottin yesterday noted his statements of Latin American criminals terrorising TT, at the funeral service for slain policeman Hayden Manwaring was meant to “galvanise” the protective services in the fight against crime.

Delivering the sermon at Manwaring’s funeral on Wednesday, Dottin said assassins from Latin American countries had joined forces with the local mafia to create “schizophrenic monsters” out to kill and maim local citizens.

Dottin yesterday said that Manwaring’s funeral service was the “best forum” to “galvanise” the protective services in the fight against crime. He described Sgt Manwaring as “one of the best police officers” TT ever produced.

“I have referred people to the issues facing this nation and I don’t know why people are shocked by some of the things that I have said,” Dottin said, adding, “I can’t go into the who and where and why but there have been a number of gruesome murders committed that is beyond our capabilities and comprehension.”

Saying he could not compromise the safety of his sources, Dottin nonetheless outlined two instances in which international assassins have been involved in the murder and kidnapping of two Trini nationals.

He said the first murder occurred “some time ago” and involved the cutting off of three fingers of its victim which was then “posted” to a Latin American country while the second instance involved the kidnapping of a young girl, who was kept in a hole in the ground and had been informed by her captor that the nation had been “carved up” by the transnational crime syndicate.

“There exists in our little country, a four level pyramid of crime. The top level is the international narco agents. The second level is the local managerial elite. The third level are the gangs and the bottom fourth level, are the students who are being brought in to do the ground work,” Dottin said.

He added that the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force had indicated that the local “underground economy” is between two and three times that of the national budget. “We do not plant cocaine here so how is it that people are being held with $22 million worth of cocaine? It is obvious that it was brought in by someone else,” Dottin said, lamenting that the crime situation had become politicised by various political groups.

Asked whether he was fearful for his life now that he has brought the issue to the national fore, Dottin said, “I don’t think that anybody is safe in our country anymore and I am prepared to sacrifice my life for my country.”

Asked about Dottin’s remarks, National Security Minister Jack Warner said he is not prepared to comment. “Pastor Dottin has made his statement. I guess he would have gotten that from some credible source but I can’t make any statement because I am not aware of what he is speaking of. I am not aware,” Warner said. Deputy Police Commissioner Mervyn Richardson said Dottin’s statements were “something that is worth having a second look at.”