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The Hall of Justice, Port of Spain. - File photoTWO police officers charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice in relation to an alleged 2019 offence were discharged by a Chaguanas magistrate, who held there was no evidence to support the allegations.
On August 7, Magistrate Sanara Toon upheld no-case submissions made by the officers’ attorneys, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support the charges against Insp Rajesh Gokool and Sgt Ken Ali.
Prosecutors had alleged that on November 8, 2019, the two officers went to a home in Carapichaima to search for firearms and ammunition. A firearm, ammunition, a quantity of narcotics, and a black 16-channel HikVision DVR were reportedly seized. The DVR has allegedly not been accounted for.
The officers were accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by concealing or destroying the DVR. At the time of the alleged offence, police said Gokool was assigned to the Central Division with 25 years of service, while Ali was assigned to the Northern Division with 19 years of service. Both were on $100,000 bail and had been suspended from duty.
The prosecution claimed that "bits of circumstantial evidence" established a prima facie case of conspiracy. However, Toon disagreed, stating that reasonable and favourable inferences must be drawn from actual evidence, not assumptions.
During an earlier hearing under the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act, Toon ruled the case would proceed in the magistrates’ court, leading to Thursday’s decision.
Gokool was represented by attorney Kevin Ratiram. Ali was represented by Aaron Mahabir and Kadeem Williams.
In a related matter, the High Court in 2021 ordered the state to compensate Gokool for four days of unlawful detention during his 2020 arrest. Although later charged, Justice Devindra Rampersad found that only three of the seven days Gokool spent in custody were lawful.
English (US) ·