Senior Magistrate Deborah Quintin has set September 18 as the trial date for the corporate secretary of the non-governmental organisation, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), Gary Aboud, charged with breaching the COVID-19 Public Health Regulations during a protest in Port-of-Spain nearly five years ago. Aboud is accused of participating in a gathering that exceeded the number of people permitted under emergency public health regulations in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The charges arise from a protest held on November 30, 2021, at Woodford Square in the capital, Port-of-Spain, with police saying that nearly 100 people were present.
The police said that no permission had been granted for the event and Aboud was among 31 people charged including the leader of the Islamic Front, Umar Abdullah.
The protest was held during a period when strict limits were placed on public gatherings under COVID-19 emergency regulations, with demonstrators voicing opposition to pandemic restrictions and other government policies.