Former UNC minister complains of delay – Sex case probe stalls

Deputy director of the Counter-Trafficking Unit Dane-Marie Marshall, left, with Government senator Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj at an event hosted by the CTU to commemorate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, on July 30, 2025 at Queen's Hall, Port of Spain. - Photo courtesy CTU

FORMER UNC minister Devant Maharaj says inaction by police to investigate a complaint he made about human trafficking involving a key government official has left him disappointed.

He spoke to Sunday Newsday on July 30, World Day Against Trafficking In Persons.

Maharaj, who served as a senator during the 2010-2015 People's Partnership administration, had complained of a high-profile case of human trafficking in 2023, and the matter was referred to the Counter-Trafficking Unit (CTU) for an investigation. After the party lost to the PNM in 2015, Maharaj was a sharp critic of UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. He subsequently migrated to Canada.

Newsday attempted to get a response from CTU deputy director Dane-Marie Marshall on July 31 in relation to Maharaj's complaint.

Asked about the status of Maharaj's complaint, she opted not to comment.

Newsday tried to get an update on the investigations from Commissioner of Police (CoP) Allister Guevarro and Deputy Commissioner in charge of Intelligence and Investigations, Suzette Martin, but phone calls and text messages went unanswered.

Deputy Commissioner Junior Benjamin said on August 2 while he was unable to give an update on the probe, he believed that the responsibility of the investigation would be under the remit of the CTU.

"I don't have much information on that matter. The CTU would be the ones who would deal with that kind of thing."

Marshall had been appointed the lead investigator to probe the claims made by Maharaj in 2023 before she was elevated to deputy director of the CTU in January 2024, along with director Allan Miguel.

Maharaj's formal complaint stemmed from the 2022 US State Department's report on human trafficking in TT, which said "senior government officials" were involved.

"Dr Rowley had got up in Parliament as prime minister and said there were members of the then opposition associated with human trafficking," Maharaj recalled.

Then opposition leader Persad-Bissessar had countered by challenging the PM to name any opposition member who was involved in trafficking.

By February 26, 2023, Maharaj emerged to support Rowley's position.

He related to Newsday, "Then I issued a statement saying yes, when we were in office, there was a person who approached (to offer to) bring women for me and so on, and it is true and correct. That person holds office.

"I made a statement to the police, who were supposed to do an investigation on it. But it just dragged out after that," he said in a telephone interview on July 30.

Maharaj said at this time in the US, curiosity over the files of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein now meant US President Donald Trump was being put under pressure for details by colleagues in his own party.

Former UNC senator Devant Maharaj -

"You see the lack of any sacred cow when it comes to human-trafficking in the US context, but in Trinidad here, you have a former cabinet minister (Maharaj) making serious accusations about somebody who now holds high office and the police, almost two years after the fact, have yet to make a pronouncement."

Maharaj said he had lodged a complaint with the police over a year ago about an alleged trafficker in the public eye.

"I keep on e-mailing the officer and the police. I even communicated with the then minister of national security to find out what is going on.

"I asked the police officer who was doing the investigation, "What kind of evidence are you looking for?' No prostitutes will give you a receipt. How will you check?

"You have to have a statement that could be corroborated."

Maharaj wondered how he himself could pick up on so many aspects of human trafficking in TT, yet the police, with all their training, seemed unable to act.

Of prostitution venues, he remarked, "Some places have police protecting them."

Newsday also spoke to a spokesperson for the Venezuelan community who complained that underage Venezuelan girls were being exploited at brothels in central Trinidad.

She said repeated complaints had been made to the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU), which had repeatedly promised raids would be coming "tomorrow.

Newsday asked Marshall about the Venezuelan nationals' hope for the CTU to act more expeditiously against forced prostitution in central Trinidad.

Marshall replied, "I encourage them not to call you, but call the CTU at 800-4CTU and give us the information so we could action things.

"We cannot do things unless the community informs us and guides us, and then we will make sure we go through the necessary protocols in terms of intelligence-gathering and obtaining a search warrant so we can progress these investigations and operations."

Newsday asked her to comment on the Venezuelan's allegations of inaction against forced prostitution in areas such as Cunupia, in Central Trinidad.

Marshall replied, "No. I can't make a comment on an issue. Cunupia is a large place. I have to be able to know exactly what this particular person is speaking about, so we can treat with it.

"The Counter Trafficking Unit is not in the business of entering people's homes without doing the necessary act that is required of us by law.

"We have to be very careful that we do not act in a way that we are not able to perfect a proper prosecution towards a conviction."

Newsday said the complaints were of human trafficking and forced prostitution taking place at specific commercial venues on Chin Chin Road in Cunupia.

"What I would want is that anything you get, send it to me, and I will ensure to start the process in terms of intelligence-gathering."

Her final thoughts. "I just want TT to understand the Counter Trafficking Unit is here and doing the work.

"We understand what is happening in our communities, in our districts, and what we want is for you all to be able to communicate with us when you see something that might not fit within the whole scope of what is normal living...If you see somebody who is unable to move around freely, or somebody is having a discussion with you, but somebody is speaking over them."

About human trafficking

Human trafficking is the use of deception or coercion (that is, fraud or force) to exploit people, typically via forced prostitution or forced labour. It is outlawed in TT by the Trafficking In Persons Act 2011, which sets down penalties of a $500,000 fine and 15 years imprisonment, and for abuse of minors, a $1 million fine and 20 years imprisonment. The efforts of the TT authorities have been scrutinised by the US State Department's Trafficking In Persons Report, expressing its deep concerns.

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