ALMOST 500 people have been detained under the current state of emergency (SoE) without being charged with any offences.

This according to People's National Movement (PNM) deputy leader Sanjiv Boodhu, who questioned the Government's continued use of emergency powers.

Boodhu said 489 preventive detention orders (PDOs) had been gazetted up to July 28, arguing that the figure raised concerns about whether the SoE was being used as an alternative to the normal criminal justice process.