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Businessman Danny Guerra - Quarry operator and real estate businessman Danny Guerra and his son were detained on November 20 under the state of emergency’s (SoE) preventative-detention provisions.
Sources who have seen the order concerning Guerra cited several serious allegations linked to national security concerns.
Guerra, who was out on bail for an alleged illegal quarry operation in Guanapo, was taken to the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) North-West and Special Operations Richard Smith, in a brief phone interview with Newsday the same day, confirmed the quarry boss' detention.
“He was arrested on a preventative-detention order,” Smith said. “Any person who we believe may be a threat to public safety, we apply for a preventative-detention order.”
He said Guerra will “most likely” remain in custody for the full 90 days permitted under the SoE while investigations continue. Smith said such orders are issued by the Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander.
Smith did not comment on the details of the allegations in the order. Other senior police officers contacted by Newsday also declined to comment on the details of the detention order.
However, a source close to Guerra, who spoke with Newsday via phone, insisted there was no factual basis for the detention and claimed it was linked to previous quarry-related charges.
“If a person is involved in illegal quarrying, they must be caught in the act. He was not,” the source claimed. “There’s no proof he was there. They are alleging he was illegally quarrying. The powers that be are just speculating.”
Asked if he believed Guerra was being targeted, the source replied, “I don’t know him (like that). That would be very speculative.”
The source also said the detention order included serious allegations based on national security.
Asked how long Guerra might remain in custody, he said, “Maybe three months,” referring to the 90-day limit under the SoE.
The source scoffed at the serious claims being made.
"That is not true."
He claimed during the April 28 election campaign, Guerra made more than $5 million in political donations to the "Toco and Sangre Grande campaign", but did not say which political party allegedly received the funds.
Asked about Guerra’s current medical condition, the source said it was unknown.
Following Guerra’s October 9 arrest, he was taken to hospital the same day for health complications.
Guerra’s detention on November 20 comes a little over a month after he and his son were charged with unlawful processing of aggregate without a licence from the Ministry of Energy. They were granted $50,000 bail each by a Justice of the Peace on October 11.
Guerra, the manager of D Guerra Ltd and owner of several companies under the D Guerra Group of Companies, including DG Homes, was arrested along with his son Garvin Guerra, 28, of North Oropouche Road, and 16 others during a major police operation on October 9.
Officers shut down an alleged illegal quarry at Manuel Congo, Guanapo, seizing a multimillion-dollar processing plant, trucks and other heavy machinery.
On October 10, Guerra, his son Garvin Guerra, a supervisor at D Guerra Ltd, and Carmino Ltd director Rolf Ferriera, 64, of Alyce Glen, Diego Martin, were taken to St Augustine Private Hospital under police guard after reportedly falling ill during detention.
English (US) ·