THE attorney for one of the men charged in the 2014 murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal is calling on the Commissioner of Police to provide evidence that would be used against his client as well as answers to alternative theories surrounding the murder.
In a letter dated December 24, Quantum Legal attorney Aaron Lewis sent a long list of questions for the Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher, requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act for his client who was charged in the May 4, 2014 murder.
Seetahal was gunned at 12.05 am in the vicinity of the Woodbrook Youth Facility after leaving a nearby casino.
On July 25, 2015, Earl Richards was one of 11 charged for Seetahal's murder of and being a member of a gang. The matter was set for trial in July 2020.
Among the numerous requests, Lewis said Richards applied for the list of the warrants issued in his name from 2012 to 2015 per the Interception of Communications Act; his voice algorithm; his fingerprints; all photographs of him; and any of his deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and its chain of custody.
"He is entitled to request his personal information from the TTPS to ensure they follow their statutory and constitutional duties. This ensures his right to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal as per section 5(2)(f)(ii) of the Constitution of TT. It is needed to prepare his defence."
Lewis said digital evidence was used against his client during his Preliminary Inquiry so he also requested all the digital evidence involved. He said metadata could be manipulated and wanted a qualified forensic expert to analyse the recordings to determine if any were manipulated.
He also presented eight theories surrounding Seetahal’s death and requested documentation supporting why these theories and accusations were either accepted or rejected by the police, and whether or not the theories were presented to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for his advice and his decision on each.
One of the theories said the US Human rights reports of TT indicated government officials aligned to more than one political party were tied to human trafficking and the illegal drug trade, with counterparts outside of Trinidad. He said Seetahal was investigating this before her death.
He also requested the names of any members of Parliament (past or present) who were suspects or investigated in Seetahal’s death.
“You must agree that any failure to investigate theories regarding the death of Ms Seetahal would be illegal, irrational and procedural unfairness, violating the applicant’s constitutional rights enshrined in the Constitution. Do you agree with this postulation? If yes, we need you to please state so in writing. If your answer is not affirmative, we ask you to indicate your reason(s).”
In addition to suggesting the police failed to investigate all the theories surrounding Seetahal’s death, he suggested the police failed to protect her life. He said given that the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) knew about
