Bail for Policewomen

Three policewomen have each been granted bail in the sum of $100,000 when they appeared before a Port of Spain Magistrate today charged with perverting the course of justice arising out of an incident which occurred on January 30.

The three - acting ASP Jurneal Alexis, Sgt Natasha Morrison and Cpl Nicole Andrews - appeared before Fifth Court Magistrate Aden Stroude who granted bail after hearing submissions from the policewomen’s attorneys.

Attorney Fareed Ali, who appeared for Alexis and Morrison, in his submission asked that the magistrate consider granting bail without the condition of it being approved by the Clerk of the Peace 3 as it may pose some difficulty for ...as she did not possess any property.

Ali said he had prospective bailors ready to take bail if granted. The court’s prosecutor did not object to bail being granted.

Stroude was also informed that the police’s file of their investigations was expected to be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions in one month’s time and bail was granted to the trio in the sum of $100,000.

The women were charged on Thursday by officers of the Police Service’s Professional Standards Bureau led by Sgt Bryon Daniel.

Their arrests came after weeks of investigation. The inspector and sergeant were charged jointly with perverting the course of justice while the corporal was charged with taking no action knowing that a criminal offence was being committed.

It is alleged that on January 30, the inspector was driving a vehicle assigned to the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) when it was struck by another vehicle. The inspector discovered that her driver’s permit was expired and called the Sergeant who was asked to accompany her (the Inspector) to the Central Police Station, to falsely report that she (the sergeant) was the driver of the CTU vehicle.

A constable at the police station was asked to enter a false report in the police station diary but refused. The corporal was then asked to do the deed and she complied. The constable later made a formal complaint to the Professional Standards Bureau and investigations commenced.

Andrews was represented by attorney Cedric Neptune.