Police officer Roger Singh will likely face trial in the High Court for robbery and misbehaviour in public office but his three colleagues and co-accused have been freed. Singh was jointly charged with PCs Reeves Boodoo, Errol Manphool and Neil Harripersad. The officers were last attached to the Ste Madeleine Police Station.
In a ruling on Wednesday at the end of a preliminary inquiry, Princes Town Senior Magistrate Debra Quintyne said a prima facie case had been made out against only Singh.
The first charge alleged that on or about May 12, 2012, at Iere Village, Princes Town, while performing duties as member of the T&T Police Service, the accused misbehaved by unlawfully carrying away Larry Barran against his will. It was also alleged that on the same day, at Daisy Road, Ste Madeleine, Singh, Boodoo, and Manphool, robbed Barran of $2,400 using personal violence against him. The officers were charged by Sgt Michael Veronique of the Professional Standards Bureau on July 21, 2012.
Singh, Boodoo, Manphool, and Harripersad were represented by attorneys Jagdeo Singh, Rajiv Persad, Kevin Ratiram and Petronilla Basdeo. Ratiram, Persad, and Basdeo made no-case submissions.
Ratiram submitted that there was no evidence linking Manphool to the incident, while Boodoo and Harripersad’s attorney argued that the identification parades involving their clients were defective.
The magistrate upheld the attorneys’ submissions and discharged Boodoo, Manphool, and Harripersad.
Singh, who is out on bail, has to return to court on November 15 when he is expected to be committed to stand trial on both charges.