Lawyers for CNC3’s Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne have issued pre-action protocol letters to the Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Inspector Roger Alexander and the acting Commissioner of Police (CoP), Stephen Williams, over his arrest on February 16 in Chaguanas.
Alleyne’s attorney, Gerald Ramdeen, said his client had given him instructions to sue Alexander personally.
“Reason is we want to see whether or not the Office of the AG and CoP is going to stand and defend the actions of Alexander, that we have already seen in the public domain,” Ramdeen said.
The letters to the AG and CoP were dispatched on Tuesday. On February 16, Alleyne was arrested and charged by Alexander for using annoying language, resisting arrest and obstruction of the police in the execution of their duties. Alexander is the host of TV6’s Beyond the Tape programme.
The incident took place at the premises of businessman Sheron Sukhdeo who had been arrested on assault charges, based on a complaint from his wife, Rachael Sukhdeo.
Alleyne pleaded not guilty to all three charges when he appeared before Chaguanas magistrate Joanne Connor at the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court the following day. Ramdeen said yesterday if there was no response to his legal letters within 14 days, together with an apology to Alleyne, he intended to head to the High Court.
“We will be going to file actions straight away. We have all documents prepared. We have taken two weeks to do this and what we expect is that there will be some resolution to this matter in a short period of time.
“This matter has grasped the public interest and the public is very interested in what transpires in this matter.
“The public eye is also on the Office of the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police’s office,” he said.
A pre-action protocol letter was also sent to Williams to challenge his failure to investigate the matter and provide with particulars as to why an investigation into the incident was not done.
Alleyne is claiming general damages for the assault and battery that was done to him by Alexander. He is also claiming aggravated and exemplary damages and damages for false imprisonment, having been detained for over 13 hours.