Shastri Boodan
Computers, cash and hand sanitizers were among items stolen from the law chambers of attorneys Dave Persad and Narendra Latchman at Carlos Street, Couva on Sunday night. Bandits broke into the two story building by entering through a ventilation widow placed over a toilet on the western side of the building.
The robbers trashed the place and stole a computer and monitor in Persad’s office and a monitor from Latchman’s office, both devices were installed to conduct virtual court sessions. The perpetrators also made off with a small quantity of cash, hand sanitizer, Lysol and water. Persad said he was appalled by the robbery. When asked if he thinks the robbery is somehow connected with his recent calls for Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to resign over his defense of the Police Service Commission’s handling of the acting appointment given to Gary Griffith after his substantive term ended in August,
Persad said he cannot make any statement and noted that the matter is being investigated by the police. However, Persad said he found it strange that a store selling computers in the first floor of the building that houses his law chambers was not touched.
Persad who was one of the first to raise issues over the Commission’s failure to seek Parliamentary approval for the acting appointment as Griffith was not a serving police officer when he was first appointed. Persad noted that when he made the comments earlier this month, Al-Rawi defended the process used by the Commission under Legal Notice No. 183 of 2021, which was drafted by him (Al-Rawi).
Persad claimed that after he issued a pre-action protocol letter and social activist Ravi Balgobin Maharaj and his attorney Anand Ramlogan, SC, filed a lawsuit over the issue, the Government sought independent legal advice from retired judge Rolston Nelson, SC.