I am innocent

PROMINENT South Trinidad businessman Junior Sammy was released from police custody yesterday morning, a full day after he was picked up for questioning in connection with the murder of San Fernando mechanic Nigel Allen. Following his release, Sammy told Newsday that he was innocent and that he knew nothing about Allen’s death. “For most of my life, I have done things to save lives. “I do not take lives. I am happy that the police conducted their investigations into the matter in a professional manner, and have vindicated me.” Sammy, 52, managing director of the Junior Sammy Group of Companies, was whisked away from the Homicide Bureau (South) offices around 11 am yesterday in a black SUV vehicle.

Sammy was taken in for questioning on Thursday morning after Homicide detectives visited his Claxton Bay home. On Thursday, Sammy was visited by attorney Prakash Ramadhar who spent most of the day at the police station. Yesterday, former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj turned up at the Homicide Bureau and spent an hour speaking with Sammy and police officers. Within half an hour of his departure, Sammy was released and was escorted to his vehicle by Ramadhar. He went straight to his home where he was visited by relatives and friends.

Allen, of Cocoyea Village, disappeared two weeks ago, and his decomposed body was discovered in a shallow grave in Claxton Bay on Monday. A man name Nigel “Cat” Roderique, 30, and Wendell Simmons, 24, both of Diamond Village, Claxton Bay, were first arrested for Allen’s killing. At about 10 pm on Thursday, instructions were issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions to charge Roderique and Simmons with Allen’s murder. Roderique and Simmons were taken to the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court around 9.30 am yesterday to answer the charge.