SoE detainees allowed access to attorneys from army base

Rajaee Ali. -

ATTORNEYS for the commissioner of police and the commissioner of prisons confirmed that steps are under way to arrange a virtual meeting between Robert Paul and his attorney.

Attorney Richard Mason, who along with Senior Counsel Pamela Elder, said they had received Nicole Marajh’s letter on behalf of Paul. The request concerns Paul’s access to legal counsel while he remains in custody at Teteron Barracks, Chaguaramas.

Mason said the commissioners are “putting arrangements in place” for Marajh to communicate with Paul via video conference. He added that Marajh would be notified once the arrangements were finalised.

Paul’s attorneys on July 21 demanded access to their client on July 21.

In letters to the commissioners they complained that they had been unable to meet with him since July 18, when prison officers took him and other inmates from the prison.

Marajh said she last saw Paul at the prison on July 2. When she called the prison on July 18, she was told only that he was “noted as being at the Maximum Security Prison,” but staff would not confirm his exact location.

The removal of a handful of high-risk prisoners came after President Christine Kangaloo declared a state of emergency on July 18 at the recommendation of Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro.

The government cited intelligence about a “co-ordinated and highly dangerous criminal network” inside the prisons. Police said the group was planning attacks against senior police officers, judges, prosecutors and prison officers.

The state of emergency allows law enforcement to move inmates believed to be linked to the network. Police said the measure was needed to “disrupt command structures and prevent further co-ordination” of attacks.

In a letter dated July 20, police legal officer ASP Ramdath Phillip confirmed that Paul was transferred to Tetron Base under the authority of the minister of homeland security. He added that “no interview has been scheduled” and Paul “will not be questioned until he has had access to legal counsel.”

Paul’s attorneys argue that the transfer and the delay in access violate his rights. They said a writ of habeas corpus was being prepared to force the court to examine the legality of his detention.

“We stress that our client must be advised of his rights and situation immediately,” Marajh wrote in a letter to Guevarro and acting Prisons Commissioner Carlos Corraspe.

They had also warned they would file a constitutional motion if access was not granted by 4 pm on July 21.

The state of emergency, which does not include a curfew, was declared to stop inmates from using smuggled cellphones to plan attacks. Authorities said the network was funded by robberies, extortion, kidnappings and infiltration of government contracts.

Rajaee Ali gets access to attorneys

Paul’s letter followed similar letters sent by suspected gangleader and murder accused Rajaee Ali’s lawyers after he was moved from the Maximum Security Prison during the July 18 state of emergency. They demanded access to Ali by 4 pm July 21.

They said they had been blocked from meeting Ali despite repeated requests and visits to Teteron Barracks and Staubles Bay, now officially declared emergency detention centres.

Attorneys Keron Ramkhalwhan and Anwar Hosein wrote to Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro and Acting Prison Commissioner Carlos Corraspe, asking why Ali was moved, where he is being held, and whether he is under questioning or in solitary confinement. They warned they would go to court if access was denied.

However, confirmation came late on July 21 from attorneys for the Commissioner of Prisons that arrangements were being made for virtual access to Ali and that a secure electronic link would be provided on July 22.

The letter also said Ali was transferred from the Maximum Security Prison to Teteron Barracks, Chaguaramas, under the authority of the Commissioner of Prisons on July 20.

Attorney Richard Mason, who along with Senior Counsel Pamela Elder, wrote that the transfer was done under Section 7 of the Prison Act, which allows the commissioner to move prisoners between facilities when necessary. Mason confirmed Ali was not being held in solitary confinement and the commissioner was unaware of any scheduled interviews.

The letter asked Ali’s attorneys to clarify if they were seeking information about a police investigation or an internal prison investigation, saying their reply was a “condition precedent” for further answers.

Ali’s lawyers had accused authorities of violating his constitutional right to consult with counsel. They had sought urgent access to him since his relocation.

Attorneys Keron Ramkhalwhan and Anwar Hosein complained that they had been trying to meet with their client since his July 18 removal. They sent urgent requests on July 18 and 19, contacted several security agencies, and attempted to access Teteron Barracks and Staubles Bay but were turned away.

Late on July 18, Justice Frank Seepersad ruled Ali’s detention lawful and said emergency powers allowed temporary limits on in-person lawyer visits.

Commissioner Guevarro defended the move, saying, “Jail is jail… security comes first.”

Meanwhile, defence force sources have questioned the decision to house the SoE detainees at the military bases in Chaguaramas.

One source raised concerns about security and the treatment of soldiers already under disciplinary detention.

A confidential source familiar with the base said the exact holding area for state prisoners inside the military facility had not been made public. One major concern is that the detention area could be within feet of where arms and ammunition for the guard units are stored.

The source also questioned who would be responsible for securing the detainees. “Will it be Defence Force personnel, police, or a combination?” the source asked.

Another unanswered issue is the fate of soldiers currently serving disciplinary punishment, or Detention to Barracks (DB), at Teteron.

The source further noted uncertainty about the policy on former service members who traditionally use the Teteron sea front.

No new guidance has been provided on whether access will be restricted and authorities remain tight‑lipped about the operational details of the new arrangement.