Tobago woman threatens action against AG

Attorneys representing Kadisha Romeo of Bethesda Road, Plymouth, have initiated legal proceedings against the State over the continued failure by the police to release over $30,000 in assorted currency seized from her since November 2015.

In a pre-action protocol letter sent on Thursday, attorneys Kelvin Ramkissoon and Sonya Gyan claim that Sgt Joel Forbes breached her rights when he failed to follow the order of a magistrate, who ordered that the money be returned to her in December, last year.

According to the letter, the money- TT$15,001, US$ 2,003 and a small quantity of other currency - was seized on November 20, 2015, under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan ordered that the cash be released on December 14, last year, as there was no justification for the continued detention, but this was not done by Forbes.

Romeo is claiming that she had already spent $37,000 for legal representation to try to recover her money.

She is also seeking repayment of the legal fees as well as declarations that her constitutional right to enjoyment of her property has been infringed.

The Office of the Attorney General has two weeks in which to respond to Romeo’s letter.