Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 03/Jan 13:43

Prosecutors traumatised by colleague’s brazen murder

PROSECUTORS are said to be traumatised by the brazen killing of their colleague Randall Hector, and will not report to court for the remainder of the week. As a result, jury selection at the Port of Spain, San Fernando and Tobago Supreme Courts has been rescheduled to January 6. A notice to jurors said their appearance on January 3 was rescheduled to January 6. Newsday understands this comes after Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, wrote to the Chief Justice informing him his prosecutors would not attend court for the week because of  Hector's murder on December 31. Prosecutors are said to be also scared for their own safety. Hector was shot as he left the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Stanmore Avenue, Port of Spain, with his family. A pastor at the church, he had earlier delivered the New Year's eve sermon. Gaspard is expected to meet with his team of prosecutors on January 3. A call was made on January 2 for increased security measures for prosecutors and judicial officers in the criminal justice system. The Law Association (LATT) made the call in response to Hector's murder ,which occurred the day after a state of emergency was declared in response to escalating gang-related violence. In 2023, prosecutors raised concerns over a move to relocate the DPP's office from Richmond Street to the corner of Park and Henry Streets in Port of Spain. They referred to a police report advising against the move. They said, “Given the fact that the Special Branch Unit is specialised in the assessment of a range of security threats for executives, including the President and our own knowledge of the location of that building, we, the attorneys, are unwilling to occupy the Park Court Building, where we are likely to be the subjects of criminal attacks. “This is especially so as many of us have already suffered the trauma of perilous encounters with accused persons, their associates and families.” Their concerns came after criticisms by the Prime Minister at a public meeting that the State had given resources to the DPP in the form of the Park Court building, but it was not used. In 2020, the National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) had a ceremonial handing-over of the $24 million, six-storey building. It had floors allocated for the DPP’s executive secretariat, administrative and support units, processing units and units for indictment and vault usage. It was leased for roughly $7 million annually. The delay in occupying the building was due to security concerns raised by the Special Branch. The building was retrofitted but never occupied. In October, Attorney General Reginald Armour said the state would buy the vacant First Citizens building on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, to serve as the new headquarters of the Office of the DPP. Armour said more than $3 million had been allocated to outfitting the building and making it ready for use. “The figure of $3.130 million has to do with funds which have been allocated for the accommodation for the DPP in Port of Spain. That is going to go to the outfitting of the building, because after purchase that building will have to be outfitted for the accommodation.” The post Prosecutors traumatised by colleague’s brazen murder appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.