OCNU cop sues over gun, ammo

A POLICEMAN attached to the elite Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU) has filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General after he was relieved of his pistol and ammunition. He claims the act has left his life in danger because of the nature of his work.

The policeman filed a writ in the San Fernando High Court yesterday, claiming that on January 10, 2003, ASP Henry Millington led a party of police to his home in Central Trinidad and took away the officer’s Smith and Wesson nine-millimetre semi-automatic pistol and 13 rounds of ammunition. The officer is claiming in his writ that the licensed firearm was taken away without any explanation. In the writ, filed by attorney Anand Ramlogan, the policeman stated that he has not been charged with any offence arising out of the seizure of the gun. He stated in the writ that for the past six years he has been serving as an undercover policeman with OCNU. He stated that the nature of his job constantly exposed him to dangerous criminal elements in the drug trade.

The policeman obtained the pistol after being granted a firearm users’ licence for his personal protection while on and off duty. The writ was filed against the Attorney General and according to a statement of claim, the policeman stated that several letters by his attorney to the relevant authorities requesting the return of the firearm gun were not even answered. The officer is asking the High Court to declare the seizure of the weapon as unlawful and a deprivation of his property. The policeman is also claiming aggravated and exemplary damages.