(Trinidad Express) Former national security minister Martin Joseph wrestled with a gun-toting bandit at his gated Flagstaff, Long Circular, home on Sunday night but was overpowered and hog-tied.
The bandit robbed Joseph and other occupants in the house before driving away with his stepson’s car.
The incident happened around 11.30 p.m. at one community located opposite the Trinidad and Tobago’s Regiment Camp Ogden and is considered one of the safest gated communities in the country.
Several senior Army officials live in the community, which has one entry and exit, manned by 24-hour security guards.
Joseph, who served as national security minister from 2003 to 2007, then from 2007 to 2010, said in a statement to the media that he was at home when the bandit struck.
Joseph said: “Around 11.30 p.m on Sunday, July 22, I was at my home at Flagstaff, Long Circular, when my stepson entered the house. I noticed that a masked man armed with a gun had followed him into the house.
“Upon entering the house, the man announced a robbery and proceeded to hog-tie my stepson. There was a short confrontation between the gunman and, I as I tried to wrestle the gun away from his hands, I too was hog-tied as the bandit proceeded to rob me and others in the house.”
Joseph added: “The robber then made his way upstairs to the bedrooms of the house and it was during that time I was able to untie myself, escape and call for help. The police were contacted and they arrived shortly after on the scene.”
Contacted last night, Joseph said he had nothing more to say outside of his official statement, which was e-mailed to media houses.
The police were called and they arrived on the scene but, according to Joseph, “by the time they got to my home the bandit had made off with my stepson’s car which was later recovered by the police in St James”.
In his statement, Joseph said what happened to him showed the need for the entire country to work at all levels in the fight against crime.
“The war against the criminals will not be easily won but is one requiring hard work, dedicated action from law enforcement and parents taking responsibility in the way they raise their children,” he said.
“I wish to thank the police officers for their quick response and I hope that the perpetrator will be brought to justice as soon as possible,” he said.
Joseph’s statements were echoed yesterday by current National Security Minister Jack Warner, who delivered the feature address at the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment’s Golden Anniversary Parade held at Teteron Barracks, Chaguaramas.
“You have to help me bring back some sanity in this country because the criminals in this country are no respecter of persons or places. As late as last night (Sunday) 11.30 p.m. they went in the home of Martin Joseph, the former minister of national security, ransacked his home, tied him up and robbed him.
“No respecter of persons, whether you are as young as 14 years old going to high school or whether you are old as 89, male or female, they are coming after you and they are coming after you because in some way we have given up space. This country has room for two types of people—police and thief. Let us take back the space from thieves.”
