A HIGH COURT judge has ordered the Commissioner of Prisons to have three of six prisoners injured at the Port of Spain prison on March 26 appear before her at a virtual hearing on March 28.
They were taken to hospital after what prison authorities described as a "riot" on March 26 in which officers were also injured.
Justice Margaret Mohammed made the order on March 27 as she granted three writs of habeas corpus to the families of the three prisoners.
She ordered that the three "must be able to hear and see the proceedings" at Thursday's hearing.
Attorney Keron Ramkhalwhan, who represents Kerry Valentino, Ayokie Charles, and Ray Paul Julien, applied for the writs after the men’s families were unable to find out where they were.
The applications said it appeared the three had been removed from the Port of Spain General Hospital and “taken to a location unknown.”
In a release, acting Commissioner of Prisons Deopersad Ramoutar said Tuesday’s incident stemmed from a dispute between a prisoner and a prison officer around 11 am.
“It was reported that the inmate refused to obey lawful instructions to return to his cell. He became violent and uncontrollable.
However, the men’s writs disputes the prison authorities' account of what took place at the prison, on Frederick Street.
The men’s application accused prison officers of physically abusing an epileptic Muslim prisoner when another Muslim prisoner objected, leading to guards beating both of them. The two allegedly ran into a cell and everyone in that cell was beaten, stamped and kicked.
The application further contended the prisoners were beaten with a “brass knuckle,” leaving them “unable to walk and covered in blood.”
Source: NEWSDAY