(Trinidad Express) Head of the Legal Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Christian Chandler, has been sent on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into an incident on his yacht.
The Express understands that ASP Baird of the Western Division is spearheading the investigation and thus far, statements have been recorded from officers of the Coast Guard and the 27-year-old Maraval woman who claimed she was being held against her will and was being subjected to unwanted sexual advances on the yacht owned by Chandler, which was on the waters of the Gulf at th e time.
The woman further claimed as well that a Diego Martin businessman whom she named made unwanted sexual advances towards her.
The woman, who has told police she was terrified for her life and afraid of being sexually assaulted, had called the wife of Captain Don Polo of the TTCG and related her fears.
The TTCG responded to the distress call and intercepted Chandler’s 45-foot yacht.
Chandler bought the yacht from an expat for $910,000 and renamed it Knot Guilty.
In a brief release hours after publication of the exclusive story by the Express yesterday, the TTPS said Chandler had proceeded on leave pending the determination of an investigation into a “the report of an incident on August 5th, 2021.
The CoP says investigations into an incident at sea are currently being carried out by officers of the Western Division”.
Chandler, 43, of Haleland Park, Maraval, is under investigation following an alleged incident on the high seas on board his yacht where he defied legal orders given by the T&T Coast Guard to allow officers to board the vessel following the distress call.
At the time of the stand-off, Chandler had in his possession one Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and two magazines with 27 rounds of ammunition and one Springfield Armory 5.56 rifle, multi calibre with EOTech optic, streamlight TLR-1HL, three magazines and 100 rounds 5.56 ammunition green tip, police sources said.
Chandler did not comply and the TTCG called the Coastal Riverine Unit of the TTPS, which was also denied entry, as a result of which officers of the Riverine Unit fired shots and the Coast Guard then boarded Chandler’s yacht.
Police interview
In an interview with officers from the Carenage Police Station shortly after the incident, the woman said she was invited to a farewell lime aboard Knot Guilty for a woman who lives abroad and was due to leave the country the following day.
She said she “arrived at Pier One around noon on August 5, 2021, and boarded the vessel with others …”, according to the report.
During the course of the afternoon she became fearful for her life upon seeing off-duty officers brandishing their firearms.
Apart from Chandler, three Special Reserve Police officers attached to the Legal Unit were detained: one who had in his possession a Sig Sauer pistol with two magazines and 31 rounds of ammunition; another with one Glock 19 9mm pistol and one magazine with 17 rounds 9mm ammunition and the third with one Glock 45 (9mm) pistol and one magazine with 15 rounds 9mm ammunition.
Asked by a caller about the incident and the type of firearms said to have been found on the yacht, Senior Supt Roger Alexander, who heads the Special Operations Response Team (SORT), said last night on TV6’s Beyond the Tape programme:
“First of all, this matter is being investigated. Now there are some things that were mentioned in the article and until I see documentation from the investigating officer, I will only play it on what the article said.
“And they spoke to a certain type of firearm on the craft. If it was mentioned and if it was on the craft, then it was there legally.
“Now then people may ask how, and I won’t have that answer for you just yet, but once it was there it would be there legally because persons are in possession of firearm (user licence) and that’s where I will leave it there for now.”
Warning shots fired
The Express understands TTCG officers called out to the captain of the pleasure craft and there was no response.
Officers then indicated they would be boarding the vessel, but were told they had no authority to do so by Chandler, who allegedly proceeded to “use threatening language”, sources said.
A decision was then taken by TTCG officers to call the Coastal and Riverine Patrol Unit of the TTPS which arrived via Vessel 001.
Chandler was again told that TTCG officers would be boarding the vessel and he refused. Warning shots were then fired by the police marine unit.
Soon after, TTCG officers boarded the vessel and detained 14 people, including Chandler. They also confiscated several firearms and searched the vessel, but nothing illegal was found.
Police reports identified those detained as the 61-year-old boat captain, five other men including the 51-year-old businessman and eight women.
On August 6, the TTCG issued a news release stating it had intercepted a pleasure craft in the Chaguaramas area in the vicinity of Pier 1 a short time after 8 p.m. on August 5.
“Upon investigating, it was found that the vessel had 14 people comprising six men and eight women on board in contravention of the current Covid-19 Regulations.
“The vessel and its occupants were escorted to the TTCG Headquarters in Staubles Bay where they were handed over to the T&T Police Service,” the release added.
Enquiries are continuing to ascertain if there was a breach of Covid-19 regulations which permits gatherings of up to five people maximum, and other offences.
Under current regulations under the Public Health Ordinance, groups are not allowed to congregate in numbers in excess of five.
