A Picton Road Laventille man has been charged with being in possession of ransom money connected with the kidnapping of San Fernando businessman Gregory Laing.
Jesten Superville was yesterday charged by police under Section Four of the Kidnapping Act Chapter 11:26 for allegedly being in possession of $2,500 from the $270,000 ransom paid by relatives to have Laing released.
Superville is now facing the possibility of 15 years in prison.
According to Section Four of the Kidnapping Act “a person who receives, has possession of or disposes of any money or property or any proceeds thereof, which has previously been delivered as ransom in connection with an offence punishable under section Three, knowing or having reason to believe that the money or other property had, at any time, been delivered as such ransom, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for not less than fifteen years.”
Superville was one of two men who High Court Judge Ricky Rahim ordered police officers on Friday to either charge or set free by 11.30 am yesterday following a writ of habeas corpus filed by attorney Criston J Williams.
Superville was charged yesterday morning while the second man was released by police.
On June 29, Laing, 54, the owner of Puff n’ Stuff Bakery in San Fernando, was snatched outside his business place.
His relatives received a $270,000 ransom demand which was paid later that day in two tranches.
A bag containing $30,000 was dropped off at Phase 1 Beetham Gardens around 8 am, while another bag containing $240,000 was left on the pavement near Tateco (Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission) Credit Union in Barataria, later in the day.
Following the full payment of the ransom Laing was released unhurt along the Beetham Highway.
On July 1, Superville and two others were allegedly held at Alicia’s Palace in St Ann’s where $2,500 cash said to be part of Laing’s ransom payment as well as a cellular phone where conversations related to the kidnapping were intercepted were obtained by police.