THREATENING phone calls to the office of Tourism Minister Joseph Ross on Tuesday, landed a 55-year-old security guard in court yesterday.

Basdeo "Dragon" Babwah stood before Port of Spain Magistrate Cheron Raphael in the Third Court, to answer the charge of sending offensive and obscene messages in a menacing character to the minister. He was arrested and charged on Wednesday by ASP David Abraham of the North Eastern Division.

Babwah, a grandfather of 11, of Parray Trace, El Socorro Extension, El Socorro, pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was represented by attorney Gordon Lamming. Lamming asked Raphael to grant his client own bail, as "he is not a menace to society".

Raphael refused.

She reminded Lamming that Babwah had a number of previous convictions-the majority of them being for violence, and it was in this instance that she was not willing to fulfill the request.

It was alleged that Babwah made several telephone calls to the office of the minister, threatening to do him bodily harm. Ross himself did not receive the calls, but he gained knowledge of the threats through his secretary, police said.

Babwah was granted bail with a surety in the sum of $30,000 and will return to court on Thursday.