Trinibad artiste Bradlee “Sai” Dhanaram, who had threatened to tie-strap supporters from a political party on a TikTok video three weeks before the General Election, has been placed on a $5,000 bond for two years.
Dhanaram, 35, returned to the Siparia Magistrates’ Court virtually for sentencing yesterday. On April 16, he pleaded guilty and was released on $10,000 bail. Dhanaram was arrested on April 11 and charged with making statements on social media which would influence public opinion in a manner likely to be prejudicial to public safety.
According to facts in the case, Dhanaram, wearing a yellow jersey with the letters “UNC” printed on the front, issued several threats to members of the public from the PNM stronghold. He said that he had invested in 100,000 tie straps, and he, along with his crew, would go around the area and tie people with the straps on the night before the election.
Dhanaram said he didn’t care if he was “locked up” for kidnapping. In another video, the same day, he said he had no remorse for his comments. The court heard he had 22,000 followers on his account. In his mitigation plea for leniency at the first hearing, Dhanaram’s attorney Frank Gittens said his client did not fully understand that he was inciting violence.
Gittens said the election “brought out a certain passion” in him that he misdirected and did not manage properly.
Given his experience, however, he said Dhanaram, a father of three, has a better appreciation of people’s constitutional rights to freedom of thought and expression and to support any political party of their choice. Before Siparia Magistrate Gloria Jasmath passed sentence yesterday, Gittens said his client posted another video on TikTok in which he issued a public apology.
The magistrate explained that the bond meant that Dhanaram must keep the peace and be of good behaviour for two years. If he failed to do so, she said he would have to return to court for sentencing. —Sascha Wilson
