Former prime minister Keith Rowley has issued a scathing critique of the Government’s handling of crime, accusing officials of failing to curb violence despite the country being under a State of Emergency.

In a statement posted to social media overnight, Rowley criticised what he described as a lack of effective action, pointing to continued violent incidents across Trinidad and Tobago.

“Have you seen how they were so vociferous about the crime in our society?” he wrote. “When I tried to address it by treating violent crime as a public health issue, they mocked and laughed and said it is only because of who is in office that we have a problem.”