Magistrate orders police: Return cash to hairdresser

AN Arima magistrate on Wednesday ordered police to return $64,935 toa 44-year-old hairdresser which represented funds from a Drug Sou Sou (DSS) hand.

Magistrate Brambhanan Dubay denied police an extension to keep the money, which they seized in February, and ordered it be returned to the owner, Cindy Brooks.

Dubay refused the extension since the police officer who sought the extension failed to show up in court to justify the need for the police to hold on to the money a little longer.

Brooks' attorney, Lasana Murray said the magistrate ordered all the money returned, including whatever interest that may have accrued.

According to the case history, Brooks's Malabar home was searched on February 21 for arms and ammunition. None were found, but police seized the money.

Brooks said $40,000 out of the money was from her "hand" from DSS and the rest was savings. The $40,000, she said, was for someone else who had pooled their resources with her to get a bigger payout.

The police, who were represented by Cpl Mings of the Financial Intelligence Bureau, first applied to have the money seized on February 22 and then on May 20. The case was adjourned four times, ending on Wednesday with Dubay’s decision. Police claimed the money seized was the proceeds of a crime not committed by Brooks.

Last November, investors in DSS were told to go to the court to get back their investments after police seized $7.7 million from the home of the founder of DSS, Kerron Clarke, at Kathleen Warner Drive, Phase One La Horquetta. So far none of the applications have been successful.