Small freed
After spending 11 days in police custody without charge, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Lenville Small was finally relased yesterday. He was told that he was free to go shortly after midday yesterday by attorney Gilbert Peterson SC, who is representing the State in the matter. Peterson made the disclosure in the Port-of-Spain Civil Court, where the police had brought Small to court as a result of a habeas corpus writ of Justice Judith Jones. Small was arrested on November 19, 2005, after police searched his home and found photographs of five members of the legal profession with price tags attatched to them. The five had taken part in the extradition case against his brother, Lance small. The names of two chemicals — Bioxin Universal and Nitrospan — were also allegedly found written on a piece of paper in his pocket. The latter is an oily liquid used to make explosives. Lenville, brother of Lance Small, a top member of the Jamaat al Muslimeen who was jailed for 12 years in Florida for attempting to export guns to Trinidad, continues to insist that he is not a Muslim or a member of the Jamaat. Sgt Nicholas, who is investigating the bombings in Port-of-Spain and St James, stated in his affidavit that he searched Small’s home at Hermitage Road, Belmont, on November 18, 2005, for an explosives, namely Bioxin Universal, Ammonium Nitrate and Nitrospan. On the premises, he found a sheet of paper with newspaper clippings of photographs of members of the legal profession attatched to price tags. They are — Attorney General John Jeremie, $600,000; attorney Douglas Mendes SC, $500,000; Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls, $300,000; attorney/senator Dana Seetahal, $270,000, and attorney David West, head of the Central Authority Department in the Ministry of the Attorney General. Sgt Nicholas said the facts constituted reasonable grounds for believing that an offence was going to be committed. After exchanging greetings with his attorneys, daughters, friends and relatives, Small made his way outside the Hall of Justice to Port-of-Spain, heading towards Frederick Street. He turned down requests by the media for interviews, saying that while he is very happy to be free, he would like to get home and take his medication. Small was arrested and detained under the Anti-Terrorism Act — a piece of legislation which Small’s lawyer, Jawara Mobota, is claiming to be illegal. However, the validity of the Act will be tested in court when Mobota’s substantive matter — a constitutional motion — comes up before Justice Jones early next year. After Small’s arrest, ASP Paul Rodriguez, applied to Justice Mark Mohammed for an order to detain Small under the Act on November 23.
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"Small freed"