Trinidadian pastor charged with kidnapping, trafficking granted $900,000 bail

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A pastor is due to return to court on January 10 after being granted TT$900,000 bail on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment and trafficking in persons after law enforcement officials had raided his Transformed Life Ministry Church last October and rescued more than 69 people.

Pastor Glen Awong and one of his employees, Indra Jaggernath, appeared before Magistrate Cheron Raphael in the Arima Magistrate’s First Court today.

Jaggernath was granted TT$300,000 bail and will also return to court on January 10.

They have been jointly charged with keeping people under exploitative conditions.

Awong was also charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment.

During the court session, attorney Wayne Sturge, who is representing Jaggernath, said his client had no prior convictions and had been taken to hospital for treatment on two occasions since her arrest on Tuesday.

Awong’s attorney Darren Mitchell said his client had no pending matters before the court and had strong ties to his community through his rehabilitation work as a pastor.

Awong and his wife had surrendered to the police on Monday.

The woman was released without charge.

On October 8 last year, the Special Operations Response Team headed by Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith went to Awong’s centre where the police said they rescued 69 people, some naked and locked in cages.

Those rescued were between the ages of 19 and 70.

Awong was charged with kidnapping a man as well as false imprisonment and trafficking of persons between the period January 30, 2019, to July 2019.

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