A 22-year-old plumber from east Port-of-Spain has been placed on a bond for wearing a camouflage short pants.
Juliano Garcia was placed on the $500 bond to keep the peace after he pleaded guilty to the offence before Magistrate Sarah De Silva in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning.
Under the conditions of the bond, if Garcia is arrested for another offence over the next few years he will have to go back before De Silva to be re-sentenced.
Garcia was arrested by police while walking along Duke Street in Port-of-Spain, around 10.45 am, on Thursday morning.
Under Section 98 of the Summary Offences, persons caught wearing T&T Defence Force uniforms or clothing with similar appearance, without the permission of the Minister of National Security, face a maximum penalty of a $200 fine.
During his brief appearance, Garcia admitted that he knew that wearing the clothing is illegal but claimed that he only wearing it at home and had to suddenly leave when he was arrested.
As part of her sentence, De Silva ordered the police to destroy the clothing.
Garcia’s case comes a month after Isaiah Pierre, a Carenage resident, filed a constitutional claim challenging a presidential legal notice from 1984, which prohibits the importation of “camouflage pattern material”.
Pierre’s lawyers are contending that Parliament and not the President should have made such a determination.
They also claim that the legal notice was too broad and sweeping in its effect as even camouflage patterns, not used by the T&T Defence Force, on items such as women’s high heeled boots were also prohibited.
Pierre’s case is expected to come up for hearing before Justice Kevin Ramcharan on April 6.
Reporter: Derek Achong