http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20170706 ... ee-on-bailWere the killers of Videsh and Rose free on bail?
Killed: Rose Mohammed and Videsh SubarThe Opposition has signaled it will not support the Bail Amendment Bill in its current form as members believe it will allow criminals to be released from prison, like the ones who allegedly killed 13 year old Videsh Subar.
Opposition members Gerald Ramdeen and Wayne Sturge expressed concerns over The Bail (Access to Bail) (Amendment) Bill, 2017 at the Senate sitting on Tuesday.
The legislation seeks to facilitate a move away from the use of property as a means of providing security for accessing bail and the introduction of the requirement for security by way of up front deposits of cash or certified cheque.
Ramdeen asked the Senate to spare a thought for the parents of Videsh Subar- Veena and Lennon Subar, whom would have been celebrating SEA results with their son had been alive.
Last Wednesday Videsh and 57 year Rose Mohammed were brutally murdered with their throats slit at Mohammed's Ajim-Baksh Trace home in Malabar. The murderers remain at large.
“If he (Videsh) was alive, he too tonight, would have been celebrating with his parents, and we should spare a through for them because this Bill that is before us today is a Bill that is supposed to improve the criminal justice system and they tonight don't have their child, 13 years old that was taken from them,” said Ramdeen.
He noted a newspaper report which stated that police had a theory that the perpetrators may have been bandits who were released from prison. He noted the report stated that Mohammed was robbed eight years ago and the criminals were held, jailed and released.
“This (double murder) has occurred, why? because people were allowed out on bail and this is what we have to reap today as the benefits of that and we are not going to support that, I cannot stand here and support that.” he said.
The Bill, he said, is not going to solve the criminal justice problems.
“This Bill has the opportunity of taking the legislative key and opening the prison gates for 839 persons in this country,” he said.
“I want to make it very clear and very plain...that this opposition is not going to support any Opposition at this time that is going to cause people to walk out of prison and continue the siege on our population, our mothers, our fathers, ur children and our youth we are not going to support that,” said Ramdeen.
Sturge also raised concern over the possibility of criminals being unleashed on society by the amendment to the Bail Bill.
“How can we as a Senate justify this sort of legislation keeping in mind what the police are saying about who are the main offenders?” he asked.
He too noted the murders of Videsh and Mohammed and was cautioned by the presiding officer.
Sturge pressed on saying the matter is not sub judice.
“Since there is no charge and given the record of the police serve there may never be a charge,” he said.
He said he has to face face people and justify passing a bill which allow in particular violent repeat offenders to be back on the street.
“We have at stake 839 prisoners who may be freed,” he said.
Sturge said further that he sympathises with first time offenders and they need to be protected from remand yard.
He noted that a person who may be imprisoned for the first time for obscene language would be taken into remand where they could be “indoctrinated into the violent culture of remand yard”.
He suggested the Bill should have some schedule to deal with different types of offenders.