JACK WARNER

Concerns by the magistracy and the police, since the execution of prisoner Peter Garcia in Rio Claro, one week ago, are being echoed by Chaguanas West MP, Jack Warner. He is calling on Government to expedite construction of a modern court building in Chaguanas. President of the Magistrates Association, Lucinda Cardenas-Ragoonanan, said last week there were security risks in the transport of prisoners between police stations and the courts in Rio Claro, Couva, Siparia and Chaguanas. Police in Chaguanas have also expressed similar concerns. Garcia was gunned down while police officers were escorting him on foot from the Rio Claro Court to the nearby police station.

Armed assailants ran up to the murder accused and shot him dead as police and onlookers scampered for cover. Warner, who is in Nigeria for the World Under-17 World Cup, said: “There is a fear that this kind of thing can happen in Chaguanas, and it must not be allowed to happen. “In this modern day, prisoners should not be escorted on foot, fully exposed to the public, from the police station to the court. “They should be put into a vehicle and driven to the court and back, and there should be adequate levels of security to prevent prisoners from escaping and to protect them from potential assassins.”

Last month, three prisoners escaped from Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court. Warner added: “The Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court, in its current state, is a national disgrace and a death trap. “It is poorly-designed and presents a number of risks to the magistrates, prisoners and to the general public. It is also inadequate for the very large and busy district that it services. These are issues which I publicly raised during a recent tour of Chaguanas Borough. I insisted, then, on a modern facility to promote the rule of law in Chaguanas. “I pointed out to the fact that the demographics of Chaguanas, the expansive physical space and substantial population warranted a modern and up-to-date facility. No one has answered my call.”

The judiciary had selected a building on Ramsaran Street, in 2004, for relocation of the court. After paying a monthly rent of $115,000 for an extended period of time, relocation plans were aborted. There has been no word on any new plans for relocating the court. During the opening of the law term last month, Chief Justice Ivor Archie spoke of how the judiciary’s development programme had been dealt a crippling blow, because of underfunding in the 2009/2010 national budget. The judiciary had requested a development and planning allocation of more than $300 million, but the final allocation was less than $50 million. The Chief Justice said refurbishment of court buildings would be affected by the shortfall.