The prisoner was given preferential treatment

Jul 16, 2014 Letters

Dear Sir,
The legal staff of the Commission of Inquiry is manipulating the Commission and the Director of Prisons to keep their witness, Robert Gates, out of jail for as long as possible.
Mr. Basil Williams has already questioned the continued presence of the witness Gates at the inquiry having already concluded his evidence tried to explain the reason for having the witness Gates out of the jail and sitting in the inquiry.
Mr. Hanoman, speaking for the prison authority without their consent, ventured a statement that is not only fatuous but unconvincing. He stated, “When the warrant was issued for the attendance of Gates, the commission was unsure when he would have given his evidence.
“In a blanket fashion, the warrant included all the days,” he said, adding that Gates’s presence was because the prison authority did not want to take it upon itself to disobey the warrant issued by the commission.”
Section 24(1) provides for the production of the prisoner before a Court or inquiry (this is) done by endorsement on such order requiring the person named therein to be again brought up at any time to which the matter wherein such person is required may be adjourned.
There is no authority for the Commission of Inquiry to issue a warrant for a prisoner to testify at an inquiry. Mr. Hanoman must have misled the C.O.I. because the only statutory provision for producing a witness from jail to testify at an inquiry is Section 24(2) of the Prisons Act, which states: “The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for prisons or in his absence, the Principal Assistant Secretary of that Ministry, on being satisfied that the presence of any prisoner or person detained in a prison or lock-up is required at any place in the interests of justice, or for the purpose of any public enquiry, may by writing under his hand order that such prisoner or person be taken to the place at the time stated in such order, and the person in charge of such prison or lock-up, as the case may be, shall cause the person named in such order to be taken as directed and shall provide for his safe custody during his absence from the prison or lock-up.”
It is clear that Gates’ unlawful absence from prison is part of a ‘deal’ to tailor his evidence which the ‘prosecution’ wants him to say. I say prosecution advisedly because every night members of the lawyers for the Commission, Hanoman and others regurgitate the days in a propaganda campaign.
Retired Prison Officer

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