Prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were absent from court yesterday and will also be missing today, as they are said to be so traumatised by the brutal murder of former colleague, special prosecutor Randall Hector, that they are fearful for their own lives and unable to focus on work.
Guardian Media understands that after Hector was murdered after leaving the Seventh-Day Adventist Church at Stanmore Avenue in Port-of-Spain on Tuesday night, DPP Roger Gaspard wrote to Chief Justice Ivor Archie highlighting the emotional state of his colleagues.
In the correspondence, which was shared with staff at the DPP’s Office and obtained by Guardian Media, Gaspard informed Archie that his staff would be absent from courts across T&T for the remainder of this week, as they (prosecutors) were in a “severely traumatised state” and fearful for their lives.
Gaspard also indicated that he is expected to host a staff meeting today to discuss their heightened security concerns and find solutions.
Contacted yesterday, Gaspard declined to comment until after the meeting.
In a telephone interview, however, a prosecutor, who asked not to be identified, said they were deeply troubled by Hector’s death.
“We are crying not only because he died but also because it means one day it could be us,” the prosecutor said.
The prosecutor said some colleagues were coping better than others, but noted, “I have one colleague who is just lying on her couch crying ... I myself have not slept a wink since then, just an hour here or there.
“It shook up everybody. Everyone was hysterical with the news.”
While admitting to not having worked with Hector during his stint at the DPP’s Office, the prosecutor interacted with Hector when he hosted a training session in conjunction with Strategic Services Agency (SSA) officials, where he (Hector) previously worked before going into private practice. “He was pleasant and a real nice fella ... There was no shadow over him,” the prosecutor said.
While attorneys have accepted there was no evidence yet to prove Hector was targeted due to his role as a special prosecutor, the source said his murder still highlighted their security concerns.
Although many of the over 120 prosecutors assigned to the DPP’s Office are licensed firearm holders like Hector, the source said this is insufficient to guarantee their safety.
“The FUL could not help. It was clearly a tactical execution. If Hector had an escort it would have been a deterrent,” the source noted.
The safety concerns raised over their Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain site was again raised.
“We are not like other State bodies. We have to have our Christmas party in the car park. Anyone could pass and spray down the place with bullets.”
Highlighting that DPP Gaspard was also previously criticised for refusing to move to a building at the corner of Park and Henry Streets in Port-of-Spain due to its proximity to communities in east Port-of-Spain controlled by gangs, the prosecutor said, “He (DPP) was right. It was in the middle of two gangs.”
The building was rented and outfitted by Government at a cost of $50 million but after the DPP refused to move, the Government sourced an old First Citizens bank branch on St Vincent for the relocation of the office.
The source also pointed out that several female colleagues are married to police officers.
“You think it is because they are attracted to the uniform? Yes, but, it is because they feel safer,” the source said, noting safety concerns contributed to the high turnover of staff at the DPP’s Office.
The source said they had been advocating for all prosecutors to receive security details that are normally only afforded to senior members of the department and a risk allowance.
LATT wants security measures for judicial officers
In a press release issued yesterday afternoon, the Law Association of T&T (LATT) suggested that Hector’s murder, one day after a State of Emergency (SoE) was declared, highlighted the urgent need for security measures for all prosecutors and judicial officers in the criminal justice system.
LATT said the objectives of the SoE “cannot be realised without the fearless efforts of the legal and judicial officers who are engaged in the criminal prosecution of violent offenders.”
The release also “roundly condemned and deplored” the brutal murder of Hector, who it said was a well-respected member of the legal profession and the national community.
Lawyers deny client linked to killing
Attorneys representing a man who was previously accused of gang activity and is being linked to Hector’s killing, say their client was freed of the charge because of Hector’s fairness and integrity.
In a media statement yesterday, attorneys Pamela Elder and Russell Warner said Hector conducted the prosecution of client Calvin “Tyson” Lee as a true minister of justice.
There were reports that Hector’s killing was somehow linked to him prosecuting Lee on charges of being a gang leader. Lee was discharged on September 23 last year for want of prosecution.
There were also social media reports of a “strange man” at the church talking and texting and seen walking in the direction of Hector before he was killed. The “strange man” turned out to be local music artiste Lou Lyons of the band Freetown Collective.
In a social media post, after his picture began circulating with a request for information about him, Lyons said he was not a suspect.
“I am Lou Lyons of the band Freetown Collective. This is my image and likeness being shared with erroneous and false information. I’m not a suspect in any ongoing investigation. Please cease and desist from further dissemination,” Lyons posted.
