Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, Dinesh Rambally, has described as “a travesty of justice” the collapse of the case against seven police officers who were charged with extortion, misbehaviour in public office, perverting the course of justice, and misappropriation of funds.
Speaking today on CNC3’s The Morning Brew show, MP Rambally said the prosecution's failure to meet court orders, present crucial evidence, and ensure the attendance of key witnesses, has adversely affected the rule of law and has denied the officers the right to clear their names—both in a court of law and the court of public opinion.
“A matter reaches the court and then it collapses, and now you must have another investigation,” MP Rambally said.
“There should have been a thorough investigation and a meticulous prosecution of the alleged crime before the court,” he argues. “So that if the officers actually had a viable defence, that defence would have proven itself in the court and therefore, they would have been acquitted on the merits [of their case]. And people would have said, ‘These people were able to prove their innocence, so the justice system is working’.”
The Chaguanas West MP maintains that the discontinuation of the case has left citizens with too many questions, fuelling further distrust in the Police Service.
“After all is said and done, we have a population that is highly speculative. Unfortunately, they [the police] are placed in a position of distrust,” Rambally observed.
“When we are seeking to fight the criminal elements, we feel as though the system we have in place to fight the criminal elements and to prosecute them—if in fact we catch them—it is not working in [our] favour,” he pointed out.
The accused officers, who were part of a special unit in the Eastern Division, maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings.
