Ex-PNM candidate wins $10,000 for illegal arrest

FORMER People’s National Movement (PNM) candidate for Oropouche in the last general elections Khemchand Seeteram was yesterday awarded $10,000 in the San Fernando High Court for wrongful arrest by the police. Seeteram, 49, was arrested in 1998 on suspicion that he was in possession of a stolen vehicle at the Licensing Office, Port of Spain, which he attempted to transfer to a new owner.

The award was made on a judgement of Justice Sebastien Ventour delivered in 1999, in which the judge found that Seeteram’s arrest and detention by members of the Stolen Vehicles Squad, was unconstitutional and illegal. Seeteram was defeated twice as the PNM’s Oropouche candidate. He is a member of the PNM’s general-council and chairman of the Ghandi Village party group. Justice Ventour rejected the evidence of Cpl Kenrick Edwards of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Squad and PC Emrol Bruce of the Stolen Vehicles Squad, that they had reasonable grounds to arrest Seeteram for possession of a black Nissan Laurel.

The judge stated that mere possession of a stolen vehicle did not mean that the owner could be held guilty of stealing it. Seeteram was kept at the Port of Spain CID for elven hours but was never charged. Justice Ventour ordered that damages for his unlawful arrest be assessed.  Master Patricia Sobion yesterday ordered that $10,000 was a sum adequate for the period Seeteram spent in custody. The Master also ordered the State to pay Seeteram’s legal costs.