One SORT officer released from custody on court order

A HIGH COURT judge on Monday ordered the release of a woman police constable who was detained last week in relation to an investigation into the deaths of two murder suspects.

Justice Jacqueline Wilson ordered the release of WPC Laura Gadar, a member of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) unit which arrested Andrew Morris and Joel Balcon on January 30 in connection with the murder and kidnapping of court clerk Andrea Bharatt.

Gadar was released from the Maloney police station shortly after the judge gave the order.

Police detained her head of SORT Insp Mark Hernandez police last week, questioned them and put them on identification parades.

Newsday understands Gadar participated in three ID parades.

Attorneys for both officers last Friday successfully petitioned the courts for a writ of habeas corpus which compelled the police to justify the detention of the two.

Hernandez remains in custody. The return of his writ comes up for hearing at 3 pm before Justice Betsy Ann Peterson.

There is a social media campaign seeking the release of the two SORT officers, under the heading Protect Our Soldiers, as well as a change.org petition, which has received 763 signatures.

The petition, started by someone named Kelly Sammy, which is directed to Police Commissioner Gary Griffith, called for the immediate release of the two. It said they had been in police custody for some 106 hours.

“Why deny them their rights?" it said. "Others have been freed! Is this justice or a witch hunt?

“Without the presence of SORT, criminals win. We need SORT! It is an elite independent team that handles crimes of national significance.

“The question is, who benefits when SORT operators are not at work? Only criminals....not LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS!” the petition reads.

SORT held Morris and Balcon hours apart on January 30 in connection with the kidnapping of Bharatt. Morris died two days later and Balcon eight days later.

Autopsies concluded that they both died from blunt force trauma. Their relatives believe they were beaten to death by police.

Bharatt went missing on January 29 and her body was found in the Heights of Aripo on February 4.

Negus George has been charged with her murder.

The two SORT officers are represented by a team of attorneys who include Wayne Sturge, Gerald Ramdeen, Mario Merritt, John Heath, Darren Mitchell, Alexia Romero and Dayadai Harripaul.