Malabar murders not connected with Bail Bill

Saying that no one needed to stir up emotion with respect to any murder in TT, Rambharat said this was a, “cheap attempt to belittle the govt using what all of us accept to be a most disturbing murder or two murders.” He reminded senators that the bill, “does not interfere with the power to grant bail.” Rambharat said those powers remain unchanged as outlined in the legislation articulated in 1994 by then attorney general Keith Sobion (now deceased).

He argued that situation may have been different had the Opposition supported amendments proposed by Government to keep restrictions for bail for certain offences in place, when those measures expired last August.

Rambharat also reminded senators, “this is a not the PNM (People’s National Movement) government at work on this bill. He disclosed that St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar recently disclosed that under the former People’s Partnership (PP) government, work was significantly advanced with respect to cash bail and bail by certified cheque.

Rambharat said Ramadhar, as justice minister in the PP, indicated equipment had been procured for this initiative and could not understand why nothing happened to move this process forward. Questioning why the Opposition was distancing itself from the bill, Rambharat said the legislation was also connected to the Electronic Monitoring Bill which the PP never brought to Parliament.

Rambharat also said contrary to statements made by Opposition Senators Wayne Sturge and Gerald Ramdeen on the bill, both men represented a client in a matter last year which referred to the very issues contained in the legislation.

Neither Sturge nor Ramdeen were in the Parliament Chamber during Rambharat’s contribution.