Public Trust in Justice Takes Another Knock With Arrest of Former Trinidad & Tobago Attorney General · Global Voices
The Hall of Justice in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Photo by <PERSON>, CC BY-NC 2.0.
It's not unusual for politicians to steal the spotlight from one another, but social media users in Trinidad and Tobago probably didn't expect it to happen quite so fast.
August 28, 2017: Tobago House of Assembly Minority Leader <PERSON> completes his protest swim-turned-boat-ride from Scarborough to Toco. August 29: Former attorney general <PERSON> is arrested on charges of perverting the course of justice and misbehaviour in public office.
But the charges should not have come as a surprise. 957
After a story that broke in January 2015, the police began investigating <PERSON> based on allegations made by <PERSON>, director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).
In return for the then government's support of <PERSON> as head of the PCA, <PERSON> was said to have asked him to withdraw as a witness in a defamation suit <PERSON> had brought against Dr <PERSON>, who was leader of the opposition at the time.
The lawsuit in question involved the failed extradition of <PERSON> and <PERSON>, businessmen who were financiers of the United National Congress (UNC) political party to which Ramlogan belongs (and which led the then People's Partnership coalition government).
<PERSON> and <PERSON> were wanted for extradition by the United States on corruption charges stemming from the construction of the country's new airport, and attempted to evade these charges through a short-lived clause that was insidiously made into law while the country was in the midst of its 50th independence celebrations.
Known thenceforth as Section 34, the clause prevented the prosecution of accused whose trial has been delayed for up to 10 years after the alleged offence was committed (except in instances of “blood crimes”).
<PERSON>, who is now the country's prime minister, maintained all along that the insertion of Section 34 into the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act was “a conspiracy by the government.” The amendment was repealed by the country's parliament on September 12, 2012.
Once <PERSON>'s allegations were made public, <PERSON> (along with then Minister of National Security <PERSON>) were fired over the debacle.
<PERSON>'s arrest becomes the talk of Twitter
Five years later, the ripple effects of the Section 34 controversy are still being felt. Social media was abuzz with updates about <PERSON>'s arrest.
One of <PERSON>'s attorneys soon suggested that the questioning of her client was becoming “oppressive”:
“It's bordering on oppressive now,” <PERSON> tells the media after charges still haven't been laid against <PERSON> @tv6tnt pic.twitter.com/EaLZj1PkXy
— <PERSON> (@KejanHaynes) August 30, 2017
To which political commentator <PERSON> retorted, referring to the country's 2011 state of emergency:
&& once locked up 8000 ppl for 3 months without questioning them and his lawyer vexed he detained for 36hrs.#ArrestedDevelopment
— <PERSON> (@rhodabharath) August 30, 2017
Charges were laid soon enough, however. Interestingly, the last item that <PERSON> has up on his Twitter account (dating back to 2015) is a press release stating that a judicial investigation cleared him of any conspiracy allegations made by the People's National Movement (PNM) party, which Dr. <PERSON> heads:
Judiciary investigation rejects conspiracy allegations made by the PNM pic.twitter.com/XQ5oF8M1sE
— <PERSON> (@AnandRamlogan) January 26, 2015
There was much online discussion about the fact that several colleagues who tried to visit <PERSON> while he was in police custody were denied access:
Attorneys who visited the police admin building denied their request to see former Attorney General <PERSON> @expressupdates @tv6tnt pic.twitter.com/G0fWTedqsV
— <PERSON> (@NateGreyy) August 29, 2017
<PERSON> again clapped back:
Are other arrested persons allowed visitors for “moral support”? #ArrestedDevelopmenthttps://t.co/Ld8QufTZCw
— <PERSON> (@rhodabharath) August 29, 2017
One of <PERSON>'s colleagues, Dr. 906