Official TTPS Media Release:

A 27-year-old man of Turquoise Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, has been charged with maliciously setting fire to the Ministry of Health head office, corner Park and Edward Street, Port-of-Spain.

Around 1:30 am on 8th August 2020, a fire was maliciously set at the basement floor of CHIC Building, 63 Park Street Port of Spain, which houses the Ministry of Health Head Office. A man was seen fleeing the scene.

When fire fighters and the police responded to the fire, they saw a message on one of the walls which read, “Covid-19 is all about the New World Order. Stop is now. #THE RESISTENCE.”

An investigation was conducted by Sgt. Clarke and Cpl. Masleir of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Port-of-Spain, with the assistance of other specialized units of the TTPS. One suspect was detained after the fire and released pending further investigations.

After extensive investigations, JEAN-PAUL COOPER, 27, unemployed, was arrested on September 14th, 2020. Based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard SC on September 16th, 2020, Cooper was charged by Sgt. Clarke for the offence of arson. He will appear before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate today, September 17th, 2020.

Responding to the attack on the Ministry’s Head Office and the message left behind, acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations and Intelligence) Mc Donald Jacob, said, “It appears that other aspects of anti-social sociopathic and extremist behavioral patterns are developing in Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) will ensure that such behavioral patterns do not develop or gain route within our society. We have seen worldwide where such patterns of behavior have caused destruction to property and injuries to innocent citizens. I wish to emphatically state that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is fully equipped to deal with such occurrences and demand that individuals be dissuaded from attempting to adopt such negative trends in our society.”