(Trinidad Express) A Caribbean airlines pilot, his Italian wife, two lawyers and a fifth person appeared in the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court this morning charged with making arrangements for the adoption of a child contrary to Section 9 (A) of the Adoption of Children Act, Chapter 46:03.
Patrick Borel a 52-year-old pilot, and his wife Daniela Parinello, a 46-year-old university lecturer, both of Trincity; Luz Adriana Buendia De Ragbir a 49-year-old teacher, of Freeport; along with two attorneys-at-law; Annabelle Sooklal, a 48-yearold of Cascade, and Kijana De Silva, a 38-year-old of Santa Cruz, were all granted bail by Magistrate Adrian Darmanie.
The charges arose from incidents which allegedly occurred sometime between Tuesday 31st July, 2018 and Sunday 30th September, 2018. Illegal adoption arrangements were allegedly orchestrated between the accused persons and a Venezuelan woman.
The Venezuelan woman, who is the biological mother of the child, was allegedly brought to Trinidad to give birth and coerced into signing over her newborn son into the ‘temporary guardianship’ of Borel and Parinello.
Upon the birth mother’s return to Venezuela, a report was made to the Trinidad and Tobago Consulate in Caracas, Venezuela, which led to investigations being launched by the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU), on Wednesday 7th November, 2018.
Search warrants were executed at various locations and resulted in the arrests of all five persons.
Charges were laid by PC Samali George, of the CTU, following advice received from the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore Paul, on Monday 17th December, 2018.
Investigations were supervised by Sgt. Leith Jones and W/Cpl Jenny Constantine and assisted by Cpl. Dirk John, Cpl. Videsh Ramsarran, W/Cpl Dawn Hector and Immigration Officer 3 Jerome Ramdular.
The matter has been adjourned to January 16, 2019.