SOE buys time to hunt for evidence – cop
Published:Tuesday | July 28, 2020 | 12:28 AMDanae Hyman/Staff Reporter
Pressed by Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) senior legal adviser John Clarke, a senior cop attached to the Westmoreland Police Division admitted in court on Monday to detaining individuals under states of emergency (SOEs) until enough evidence was gathered to charge them.
Justice Bertram Morrison ordered last week that five men – Everton Douglas, Nicholas Heat, Courtney Hall, Courtney Thompson, and Gavin Noble – be taken to the Supreme Court.
In Monday’s court hearing, the senior police officer, the third witness called by the Government, disclosed that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) acted on a standard operating procedure in making arrests under SOEs. However, the policeman argued that detainees were held for longer periods without being charged partly to gather evidence.
When Clarke asked him if Hall was essentially being held until the police gathered enough evidence, the policeman said, “He is being held because he is a threat to the peace and tranquility in Westmoreland.”
The cop further charged that Hall was expected to be charged with murder and shooting but noted that supporting evidence was still needed. He also said that the detainee was a top-tier member of the Elite Squad Gang located in the parish.
Additionally, the cop said that the case had not progressed further because potential witnesses feared reprisals.
A senior officer in the Kingston Eastern Police Division, the second witness called by the Government, said that Douglas was the leader of the Jacques Road Gang located in the Mountain View area.
He, too, shared that the detainee presented a threat to public safety, suggesting that his absence from the streets had helped to account for a reduction in crime.
The policeman said that despite not being charged, he concluded that the detainee had committed serious offences in Mountain View and surrounding areas.
Presiding judge, Justice Raymond, questioned the value of detentions if persons held would eventually be released into communities and resume a life of crime.
The men have been in custody for up to a year without being charged.
In the meantime, it was disclosed that Noble has been before the Emergency Powers Review Tribunal and was not released, and that his case should be dismissed.
The hearing of the matter will continue today at 10 a.m.