(Trinidad Express) The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has instructed that businessman Adrian Scoon be charged.
The Express understands that investigators met on Wednesday and, after submitting their findings, were advised to charge Scoon and promoter Shadeed Abdullah jointly with holding a public party and operating a party boat—the Ocean Pelican.
Additionally, Scoon, Abdullah and those who attended the Boxing Day event will face charges of gathering in a public place in excess of ten individuals, in contravention of the Public Health Ordinance.
All will be charged via summons by Insp Ramjattan of the Carenage Police Station.
On the morning of December 27, one day after his party was shut down and the 100 patrons processed and subsequently released pending the investigation, Scoon e-mailed a letter dated December 26, 2021, to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, disclosing that he (Scoon) wished “to convert our vessel into a floating Restaurant and more importantly a Safe Zone”.
The letter was sent to Deyalsingh’s personal e-mail address only.
Section 4(1)(C) of the Public Health Ordinance Regulations 2020 states:
(1) For the purposes of controlling and preventing the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), it shall be an offence, during the period specified in Regulation 17, for any person to—(b) operate a party boat, boat tour or club; (c) hold public parties or public fete. Except where authorised by the minister.
Phone calls
Via a media release on January 2, Scoon admitted to calling Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi from the boat, when police officers boarded the boat following complaints from members of the public.
Asked if he had been contacted by Scoon on December 26 while he was in police custody, Al-Rawi had said, “I was not contacted by Mr Scoon while he was in police custody.”
The station diary at the Carenage Police Station says Scoon called Al-Rawi while being questioned in connection with the party on board the MV Ocean Pelican.
Excerpts from the diary reveal that on December 26, 2021, Scoon “made a phone call on his phone and invited No 14596 Sgt Adams to speak on the phone”.
After a short conversation, Scoon gave the phone to Sgt Adams, indicating someone wanted to speak with him.
In the presence of Scoon and others, Sgt Adams “activated the loudspeaker feature on the device”.
According to the diary, the male voice on the other end identified himself as “Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi…he stated he was not impeding on the investigation, but his position was that the vessel was not deemed a party boat and it was his opinion no offence was committed”.
However, “No 14596 Sgt Adams informed the said person on the other line that in accordance with the Covid-19 regulations, the Ocean Pelican is deemed a party boat and should have an exemption from the Minister of Health. The conversation ended,” the diary says.
When police officers asked Scoon to produce his Ministry of Health exemption permitting him to host a party on board the MV Ocean Pelican, he reportedly told officers, “I was told that I don’t need an exemption by the Honourable Attorney General,” according to the diary.
Additionally, Al-Rawi had telephoned ag Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob and ag Deputy Commissioner of Police Erla Christopher on December 26 while Western Division officers were shutting down the party and detaining patrons.
The probe
In the police investigation, various institutions responded to requests for clarity and information on whether Scoon had received the necessary permissions to host the Boxing Day party, which saw over 100 patrons in attendance. The clerk who prepared the licence has also been questioned.
The investigation was split into two parts—the special restaurant liquor licence obtained from Customs and Excise by Scoon and possible breaches to the Public Health Ordinance.
The special licence has since been rescinded and rendered “null and void” by the Ag Comptroller of Customs and Excise Bernard Nicholas while an internal investigation has been launched within the Customs and Excise Division to ascertain who by-passed the permanent secretary and issued Scoon a special restaurant licence.
In a media release issued on January 3, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said he never authorised or did he give permission for the licence to be approved. This was also reflected in his statement to investigators.