Three police officers who yesterday won a lawsuit against the State for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment said it was a sad day for the Police Service when police officers are wrongfully arrested by their own colleagues. The officers-acting sergeants Sterlyn Taylor and Kevin Charles and PC Hambre Lackraj-were awarded $68,200 each by Justice Frank Seepersad at Port-of-Spain High Court. Contractor Raphael Lutchmansingh, who was also arrested with the officers, was also awarded the same sum yesterday. He is a road developer. The officers' arrests stemmed from a probe of illegal quarrying on lands belonging to Clive Mitchell. They were represented by attorneys Kent Samlal and Abdel Mohammed.
They said around 1.40 pm on May 1, 2008, they were at a quarry site at Turure Road, Valencia, when they were approached by a marked police vehicle. Three officers of the Sangre Grande Police Station exited and arrested them. Taylor, Lackraj and Charles said they were detained for almost nine hours at the Sangre Grande Police Station under police guard. They said at no time were they informed of the reason for their arrests. The officers also claimed their fundamental constitutional rights were also infringed and, in particular, their right to obtain an attorney or communicate with a friend via telephone. After they were released without being charged or placed on an identification parade they were asked to write statements for their presence at the quarry site, they said. Taylor, who was assigned to the Inter-Agency Task Force, said he was transferred four times in three months after his release. Lackraj, who was also assigned to the same unit, said he also was transferred several times after being released.