State to compensate pundit for wrongful arrest

THE State agreed on Friday to compensate a pundit of Princes Town for being wrongfully charged with assault and resisting arrest.

A magistrate dismissed the charges laid against Pundit Deodath Balliram, 49, on September 11, 2013.

They arose from an incident in a store on High Street, San Fernando, on January 7, 2010, when there was an argument between Balliram and store clerks about his giving a child one of his discount cards. He said he had earned the cards and was free to give them away.

Police intervened and tried to remove Balliram from the store. The pundit insisted he wanted to buy a pair of pants.

However, when he was allowed back into the store, Balliram claimed, in a lawsuit for malicious prosecution, the store clerk told him the price of the pants was $349.99. The pundit said he examined the price tag, which showed a price of $230.

Police were called in again and the pundit was arrested and charged.

Magistrate Taramatee Ramdass upheld a no-case submission by Balliram’s attorney Kevin Ratiram, and dismissed the charges. Ratiram sued the State for malicious prosecution, contending that the evidence against the pundit was fabricated.

Before Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, state attorney Coreen Findley said the State had admitted liability and she consented to a judgment in Balliram’s favour. Boodoosingh expressed the view that the State’s decision was acceptable.

Ratiram requested time for the parties to have further discussions on the amount of compensation in the hope they would agree on a figure.

The judge postponed the case to April 3.