Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
Three inmates who were among several persons injured in a fracas at the Royal Jail in Port-of-Spain on Monday have been summoned to appear before a High Court judge today.
Prisons Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar was instructed by writs to produce Ayokie Charles, Kerry Valentino and Ray Paul Julien for the virtual hearings scheduled for 2.30 pm before Justice Margaret Mohammed. The habeas corpus applications were filed by the inmates’ attorney Keron Ramkhalwhan yesterday morning after he was denied an audience with them on Monday following the incident.
Mohammed ordered Ramoutar to make arrangements for the inmates to appear at the virtual hearing where they “must be able to hear and see the proceedings.”
Ramoutar confirmed that the prison authorities had received the correspondence and would comply with the instructions.
“That is a daily job for us to take inmates to court,” he said.
He dismissed claims the inmates involved in the fracas had been placed in solitary confinement.
That is a total fabrication and misrepresentation of the facts,” Ramoutar said
Three inmates remained warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital up to last night with injuries caused by blunt force trauma. One man was under observation at the Accident & Emergency Department and two others had been admitted to the Adult Ward under prison and police supervision.
Two other inmates were returned to the prison facility on Monday after being treated for minor injuries.
While only five prison officers required medical treatment following the incident, a senior prison official yesterday said 17 prison officers had visited the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
They dismissed claims that legal counsel for any of the inmates had been denied access to their clients and described operations at the prison yesterday as “beautiful and normal like nothing ever happened.”
Investigations into the incident at Cell Block D, Cell 5, are continuing.