Policemen still detained

The High Court judge who ordered the detention of two policemen under the Anti-Gang Act on Monday has refused to lift her orders.

Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds yesterday ruled that the detention orders would remain after she heard from lawyers for the police and the two policemen at the San Fernando High Court on Thursday.

She was asked on Tuesday by attorneys for the policemen to lift her orders granted pursuant to section 17(5) of the Anti-Gang Act of 2018.

She also gave a written decision which will serve to guide the police on carrying out detentions under the act.

Police made an application on Sunday to have the men detained for a further 11 days, as they needed more time to investigate.

Ramsumair-Hinds considered the application without a hearing and in her order said there were reasonable grounds to believe the further detention was justified and the police investigation was being done diligently and expeditiously.

The police were given until March 8 at 11.40 am, to keep the men in their custody.

The two policemen were detained on Friday by the Organised Crime and Intelligence Unit (OCIU) at the Arouca police station after they returned from court. Their lockers were reportedly searched, their cell phones seized and their homes searched. Four lawyers are also being investigated by police.

On Tuesday, Justice Malcolm Holdip also ordered the further detention of a third person, a civilian, for a further 11 days. The detention order began on Wednesday, and will expire on March 10 at 7.30 am.

Last month, police said four suspects from a known gang based in the Five Rivers, Arouca, were arrested and charged for offences under the Anti-Gang Act. From October 2018 to then, in total seven people had been arrested and charged.