Ramdeen wants back his laptops, phones from police

EX-UNC senator Gerald Ramdeen is threatening to take the police to court for the return of several items they seized when they searched his home and offices in May 2019.

On Wednesday, his attorney, Dayadai Harripaul, wrote to the acting Police Commissioner.

She said the searches were done on May 1, 2019 – the day before Ramdeen and former attorney general Anand Ramlogan,SC, were slapped with three corruption charges in an alleged legal-fees kickback conspiracy.

Ramdeen’s Palmiste apartment and his law offices in San Fernando and Woodbrook were searched by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Harripaul said electronic items including computers, laptops, iPads and cellphones were taken, and although the police were told the items contained privileged material, they said it was for Ramdeen to prove that.

“Despite my client’s request for a copy of the search warrant, a copy was not provided to him,” she also said.

Harripaul said on May 9, 2019, she requested the items: a Macbook Air laptop; an iPad; a Digicel cellphone; a Scotiabank transaction record receipt; a digital vault; a Royal Bank chequebook in Ramdeen’s name; a Dell laptop, a Lenovo laptop and two other devices.

Harripaul quoted the law on police powers to detain property and said the legal principles were clear and lead to “only one conclusion: that the items taken ought to have been returned forthwith.”

She said on Monday the criminal prosecution against her client was discontinued, so “the continued detention of my client’s property is illegal and unlawful.”

“My client has been deprived of his property for in excess of three years and I now call upon you to forthwith immediately return my client’s property failing which proceedings will be commenced in the High Court for the forthwith return of same.”

She said her client contended that the police had no lawful basis for keeping the items.

Acting Commissioner McDonald Jacob was given until 4 pm on Friday to respond or Ramdeen will go to court for orders to have his belongings returned.