The soldier held for questioning in Monday’s fatal robbery at Pennywise Plaza in La Romain has been released from police custody.
This follows a habeas corpus writ filed by the soldier two days after he was detained by the police. On Friday Justice Devindra Rampersad gave investigators until 2 pm yesterday to conduct an identification (ID) parade with him. But, according to his attorney Criston J Williams he was released without being placed on the ID parade. He was told that the ID parade was scrapped based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He was picked up by his relatives at 2.05 pm from the San Fernando Police Station.
During the hearing on Friday, attorney Gayle Tsonda told the judge that investigators consulted with the Office of the DPP and were advised that they should conduct an ID parade with a man who the soldier claimed he was on the way to meet when he was carjacked.
Claiming that it would take 12 hours to make preparations for the ID parade, she said investigators were concerned that if released, the soldier may engage in the destruction of evidence and witness tampering or that he may flee. In a telephone interview, Williams said, “After coming forward with the position to deny him his fundamental rights to liberty, that he is such a bad guy and they need to conduct this identification parade, no parade was conducted.”
Williams claimed that they have information about police involvement in this matter and now his client is fearful for his life.
As a result, he said the soldier was expected to be picked up by his colleagues to be taken to the Army Base. However, Williams said he has in his possession a statement from the soldier detailing information and evidence he has in the matter.
He added that information has also been passed to the Police Complaints Authority to investigate the police killing of the four suspects. “Let’s see how many bullets with TTPS issued and how many bullets came from their (suspects) guns,” he added.
Contacted for a comment, Ag Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob said the soldier was still a suspect. He explained that he was released because a habeas corpus writ was filed but that does not mean he has been cleared as investigations are continuing.
Asked why the identification parade was not conducted, Jacob said he could not say as he was “not in the middle of the investigation to know what they are doing”. He added that crime is not just about being on the scene where the offence was committed.
Soldier’s claims
In the court documents, the soldier’s lawyers, Williams, Jade Martinez and Blaine Sobrian, claimed that he was arrested on Monday after he went to the San Fernando Police Station to report that he had been carjacked by six armed men in La Romain.
The police alleged that his vehicle was one of those used in the robbery of three security guards attached to Allied Security Services in the Pennywise robbery. Two civilians were detained by investigators in addition to the soldier.
The soldier’s lawyers claimed his continued detention for questioning concerning the robbery was unlawful and unreasonable. Attached to the writ was an affidavit from the soldier’s uncle, who is the owner of the Nissan X-Trail which was being used by the soldier.
The uncle claimed that around 6 pm on Monday, he received a call from an officer of the Tableland Police Station, who told him his vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run accident.
The uncle claimed that he called his nephew, who answered and told him he was robbed of the vehicle a short while earlier. He said he later learned that his nephew was held for questioning concerning the robbery of the security guards.