High Court Judge Sets Date for Hearing on Murder Accused's Transfer to Military Base

A Trinidad and Tobago court has set January 22 next year as the date to begin hearing arguments in the constitutional and judicial review claims against the state, the commissioner of prisons, and Minister of Homeland Security over the legality of the transfer of a murder accused to an army base west of here in July. The attorneys for Rajaee Ali, who is awaiting trial for the murder of special prosecutor Dana Seetahal, SC, since 2014, and a state of emergency detainee, are challenging the legality of his transfer from the Maximum Security Prison (MSP), Arouca, east of here, to the Teteron Barracks in Chaguaramas on July 18, when the state of emergency (SoE) was declared. The move was part of a crackdown on jailed gang leaders accused of using smuggled cellphones to plot a series of assassinations, robberies, and kidnappings with help from criminal associates on the outside. Ali's lawyers are also challenging the move to another cell on the base on August 8, as well as the Minister of Homeland Security's decision on July 24, designating the military base a prison. They are seeking declarations that the decisions were unlawful, along with orders to quash them and to compel Ali's removal from Teteron Barracks.

Key Takeaways:

• The High Court judge has set January 22 as the date to begin hearing arguments in the constitutional and judicial review claims against the state, the commissioner of prisons, and Minister of Homeland Security over the legality of Rajaee Ali's transfer to a military base.
• Ali's attorneys are challenging the legality of his transfer from the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) to the Teteron Barracks in Chaguaramas on July 18, as well as the Minister of Homeland Security's decision designating the military base a prison on July 24.
• The High Court judge has agreed to a rolled-up hearing where both leave and substantive issues would be considered together by the judge.
• Ali's lawyers have raised concerns about the conditions at the Teteron Barracks, including the lack of natural light, ventilation, windows, shower, or toilet in his cell.
• Ali has also complained about being strip-searched, not having access to personal grooming products or books, and receiving meals from masked persons who could potentially be prison officers or a threat to his safety.

Statistics:

• Since 2014, Rajaee Ali has been awaiting trial for the murder of special prosecutor Dana Seetahal, SC.
• Ali is also a state of emergency detainee who was transferred from the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) to the Teteron Barracks in Chaguaramas on July 18.
• The state of emergency (SoE) was declared on July 18, nearly three months after it had ended a 105-day SoE to deal with criminal activities.
• On July 29, Parliament extended the SoE for a further three months.

Sources:

• The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian
• The Guardian (no date mentioned)
• Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago
• Office of the Commissioner of Prisons, Trinidad and Tobago