Letter: Trinidad and Tobago: A country not ruled by law

Every municipal corporation has answered that KISS Baking Company trading as Coelhos has no permission or licence of any kind to sell on the nation's roads, sidewalks, highways and other public spaces, the public asks how are they allowed to do with such impunity, to flout the law.

The Progressive Empowerment Party has been steadfast in bringing this issue to the public especially in light of other action taken against other vendors by police, and this KISS logo on the commissioner of police can only be seen as a statement of power by a company believing itself not only above the law but in control of those who enforce the law.

In Chaguanas last year a person named Pamela Mitchell appeared before a Chaguanas Magistrate accused of vending illegally, was charged with five offences hours after she was arrested and her goods, including 358 newspapers, seized. The charges alleged that on Tuesday at Main Road Chaguanas, Pamela Mitchell obstructed the free passageway; unlawfully pitched a stall, displayed products for sale and offered a number of marketable commodities including cigarettes, newspapers, candies, and PTSC bus tickets. She was granted $10,000 bail and the matter is ongoing.

Last week Mark Franklin, long time Saddle Road Maraval fruit vendor was arrested and his belonging seized and bundled into a police vehicle. Were it not for a massive outcry from the community his fate might well be as hers is, out on bail, looking for lawyers fees to defend herself.

Yet despite being shown repeatedly and publicly that KISS Baking has no permission or license to sell and is in fact breaking the law hundreds of times every day, no action is taken.

The line between right and wrong keeps being blurred in this country, and Gary Griffith should have known better here.

Yes, it is easy to use power and money to mislead the under-informed, the poor and the politically misguided masses, but that is not what the power of high office is for.

A shameful little nation playing at being a real country.

Phillip Alexander

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