No mercy for convicted killer

CONVICTED killer Ian Seepersad had failed to convince a former President of Trinidad and Tobago that he be released from prison. According to documents filed in a constitutional motion brought by  Ian Seepersad, former President Noor Hassanali turned down Seepersad’s petition in 1996. Hassanali, acting on the advice of the then Minister of National Security Brigadier Joseph Theodore, advised that Seepersad’s sentence be allowed to follow its normal course.

Seepersad and Roodal Panchoo were convicted of murder, but because they were under 18 years of age when the murder was committed, they were ordered to be detained at the President’s pleasure. However, the High Court ruled on Monday that this sentence was illegal and unconstitutional and that the correct sentence should have been “at the Court’s pleasure.” In his affidavit, Seepersad said he petitioned the President and the Minister of National Security on several occasions for his release from prison. However, he had not heard anything from the authorities about his petition. But in an affidavit filed last Friday, Isaiah Roachford, Superintendent of Prisons based at Carrera Island Prison, said he was aware that Seepersad had petitioned the President to be released from prison. He said the President deferred the petition in 1995 until a Welfare Officer’s Report could be obtained. Roachford said the following year, the President advised that the prisoner’s sentence be allowed to follow its normal course.