I don’t depend on police anymore

DEPUTY Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Carla Brown-Antoine stunned a packed courtroom yesterday when she informed the presiding magistrate that she no longer depends on the police for information. Brown-Antoine said the time has come when she may have to go to the courts herself to get information on the criminal records of prisoners/witnesses. The state prosecutor pointed out that the records of the police were in a terrible state, and asked why proper and updated records are not available. Brown-Antoine’s comments were made in response to a statement from defence attorney Pamela Elder about the records of two state witnesses — Brent “Big Brent” Miller and Brent “Small Brent” Danglade.

Elder complained to Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls about Danglade’s criminal record which was supplied to her. She said that a previous conviction dated 1999 was submitted to her, but in cross-examination yesterday, it was revealed that Danglade had a 2003 conviction. Elder said the same thing happened when Miller was being cross-examined. She asked that the prosecutor provide a more up-to-date record about her own witnesses “so I would not have to wonder what convictions these witnesses have.” Brown-Antoine jumped up and said “I don’t depend on the police any more. I have to go and investigate this myself. We ask for the records from the police who are the ones designated by law to keep records. It seems that I will have to go and investigate that now, before I can disclose it. “It is not my function to investigate the accuracy of documents.” In response, Elder said the prosecutor had made a shocking disclosure. “She can’t just pass the buck, she can’t just attack the police, I am not appearing for the police, but she can’t do that. To stand here and say that she can’t rely on the police....she is leading the police evidence in this inquiry.”

Brown-Antoine said she intends to find out the truth, but again reiterated that she has to depend on what the police give her. “I must see it in black and white, I am not going by word of mouth,” she added. The Chief Magistrate intervened and asked Brown-Antoine, that in light of what was said, to get an update on the records of persons involved in this case. Brown-Antoine replied, “I can’t get that from the police, so I will have to go to the Clerk of the Peace and see what I can get.” Yasin Abu Bakr, 62, is before Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court charged with David “Buffy” Maillard and others at Citrine Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, on June 4, with conspiring to murder two expelled members of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, Salim Rasheed and Zaki Aubidiah. Hearing of the preliminary inquiry continues on October 30.