Rajaee Ali, reputed gang leader and murder accused in the Dana Seetahal, SC, case is threatening to sue the Commissioner of Prisons over his allegedly inhumane treatment in prison.
Ali, who has been in remand at the Port-of-Spain State Prison at Frederick Street since being charged with conspiring to murder a radio announcer in December last year, is claiming that prison authorities have treated him unfairly by subjecting him to solitary confinement at the prison.
In a pre-action protocol letter issued to Prisons Commissioner Sterling Stewart yesterday, which was obtained by the T&T Guardian, Ali's lawyer, Gerald Ramdeen, alleged the security measures put in place for the former LifeSport co-ordinator breached both his constitutional and fundamental human rights.
In particular, Ramdeen is taking issue with the fact that since his detention, Ali has not been allowed the one hour "airing time" afforded to all prisoners and has been blocked from attending weekly prayers with his fellow Muslim inmates.
"As the claimant is the only prisoner made to suffer these deplorable conditions, one wonders whether the actions of the prison authorities that are under your control are deliberately singling out the claimant for this type of treatment.
In addition to being denied his daily exercise and weekly religious service, Ramdeen also took issue with the general conditions in the prison which his client had to endure.
"The claimant complains of the cell not having any furniture, no ventilation, no artificial or natural lighting. He has to relieve himself in a slop pail which he himself has to empty and clean twice per day at the very limited times that he is allowed out of his cell to bathe and tub.
"The cell is infested with rodents and insects," Ramdeen said as he described the conditions as unhealthy and inhabitable.
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Ali, whose family operates the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen's mosque in Carapo, Arima, shot to fame last year after it was revealed he was a co-ordinator in the controversial LifeSport programme.
In December last year, Ali and five members of his mosque were charged with conspiring to murder SLAM 100.5 radio announcer Kevaughn "Lurbz" Savory. They were also slapped with charges under the Anti-Gang Act which precluded them from being granted bail.
On July 27, this year, Ali was among 12 members of the mosque who were charged for the murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal who was assassinated in Woodbrook on May 4 last year.
Ali's younger bother, Ishmael, is charged with both crimes while his older brother, Hassan, is only charged with Seetahal's murder.