Judge rules against Warner in quarry probe
Written by Darren Bahaw on August 21, 2024
HIGH Court judge Frank Seepersad has dismissed a claim filed by Warns Quarry Co Ltd, a company under the Warner Group, which sought the return of multi-million-dollar quarry equipment and machinery seized by police in two investigations stemming from allegations of illegal quarrying.
The judge ruled on August 21 that the police must be given “reasonable time” for “various investigative processes.”
He noted that a mining licence granted by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries on June 18, after police charged several people for processing minerals without a licence at Wallerfield, did not have a “retroactive effect and cannot be relied upon to justify any mining activity which may have occurred before they were issued.”
On December 2, 2023, four men were held for illegal quarrying after a police operation at an area known as Five Acres, Vega de Oropouche, Sangre Grande.
Quarry manager Willinsque Tobias, Aaron Neptune and excavator operators Rudy Sahai and Ahmeed David were each granted $50,000 bail after being charged by officers of the Multi-Agency Task Force led by ASP Leon Haynes.
A 40-tonne excavator and a 20-tonne excavator, among other equipment, were seized during the police operation and taken to the regiment’s Camp Cumuto for safekeeping.
One of the excavators has since been returned to Massy Machinery Ltd after a ruling by the magistrate.
On May 2, eight men were charged with processing minerals without a licence after police raided a wash plant on Moonan Road, off Agua Santa Road, Wallerfield.
Cpl Terrence Nowbutt jointly charged Aluko Ato Warner, Robert Wilson, Reuben Maprangala, Ricky Joseph, Corey Charles, Deon George, Shastri Mahadeo and Kimal Williams with processing minerals without a licence. They were granted bail of $75,000.
On July 4, Allan Warner, founder of the Warner Group, was charged with processing minerals without a licence and released on $100,000 bail.
Warner is a close friend of the Prime Minister.
The post Judge rules against Warner in quarry probe appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
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