PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Office of the Attorney General have agreed to withdraw their appeal against a High Court ruling that placed 69-year-old businesswoman Star Sabga under house arrest, according to court proceedings reported Monday. The decision ends the State’s challenge to the conditions under which Sabga was released after spending several weeks in detention under a Preventive Detention Order.

The appeal followed a July ruling by High Court Judge Vigel Paul, who ordered Sabga to be placed under house arrest conditions previously imposed on her niece, Genevieve Hadeed, and Hadeed’s husband, Dominic Hadeed. The State subsequently challenged that decision before the Court of Appeal. On Sept. 10, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander revoked Sabga’s PDO, ending her detention at her Westmoorings apartment. Appellate Judge Carla Brown-Antoine later gave the State time to decide whether to continue the appeal, noting that Sabga’s release had raised questions about whether the case remained relevant.

Sabga, the Hadeeds and other relatives were detained under PDOs in late June during Trinidad and Tobago’s state of emergency. The detentions were based on intelligence reportedly gathered by the Strategic Services Agency, and the relatives were accused of conspiring to assassinate senior government officials. The Hadeeds’ initial request for interim release was rejected by High Court Judge Frank Seepersad, but a Court of Appeal panel later upheld their bid, questioning the justification advanced for their continued detention. Another panel, led by Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, stayed that ruling pending the State’s final appeal to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council.