PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Trinidad and Tobago government is moving to implement the anti-terrorism legislation by freezing the assets of a person the court has deemed to be a terrorist.

A terrorist act is defined as one that will cause or is “likely” to cause harm and destruction. The judge’s order must, by law, be made public through publication in the Gazette within six days, if granted. The entity then has a right of appeal within 60 days.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, speaking at the meeting of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) here Tuesday, said that the government has made an “application before the court to cause the designation of a Section 22B entity under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

“It is something we took control of as an incoming government and prosecuted with due process leading to an application to the courts today. It is a very important thing to apply the laws of your country and not only to have them. It is unclear if there is any link between the current application and recent global developments,” Al Rawi said without giving further details regarding the person or entity that is being deemed a terrorist.

But he told reporters afterwards that the application before the High Court relates to a request that had been pending “for some time”, saying he would not divulge details of the application as the matter was now sub judice.

He said that while the State is considering the question of enacting specific legislation to tackle the global terrorist environment, it will work with what it already has on the books.

“What the government intends to do is apply the laws of Trinidad and Tobago. There is a suite of laws available to Trinidad and Tobago: the Anti-Terrorism Act; breaches of the common-law offences — whatever they may be.

“It is by far more important to us to catch the people who are deemed to be terrorists and treat with them. Our jails are made to be used after due process has been carried out. We don’t necessarily share the view that one ought to bounce somebody at the airport.

“What you really want to do is ensure that you treat with the criminality in your due process and in your jail system. I met an application which was languishing in respect of which there had been a conviction and I saw it as important to proceed with that application to court,” he said.

He aded: “I discharged my role as Attorney General under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Matters cannot afford to be in the system for long, you must deal with them as soon as they arise,” he said adding that the population has been concerned over the lack of prosecutions under any anti- terror statute.

“The efficiency of Trinidad and Tobago has been under watch. We have not as a country had the benefit of seeing the kind of consequences for breaking laws. Who has been prosecuted for alleged terrorist links? These are questions which are on the lips of average Trinidadians and Tobagonians.”

Al-Rawi said that since the Paris attacks that left more than 130 people dead earlier this month, the National Security Council has already met with the Trinidad-based Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), the Caribbean Community intelligence-sharing organisation, and has received reports from the head of the Defence Force, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), and “other intelligence agencies