A High Court Judge has ordered the conditional release of a man from Cameroon, who has been detained at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo since May, last year.
Delivering a 14-page judgment in the Port-of-Spain High Court, Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell ruled that Laurent Pret Souop's continued detention was unlawful as he had been illegally arrested by immigration officials while trying to leave Trinidad, last year.
Donaldson-Honeywell ruled Souop has demonstrated that he was unfairly arrested in a genuine attempt at departing from the country. and therefore his continued detention is unjust.
Souop arrived in T&T as a tourist in April 2013 and was granted a one month stay. Souop overstayed his time and eventually married a Trinidadian woman two months later. Souop was going through the process for residency through his wife until January 2014, when she informed the Immigration Division that the marriage had broken down and she no longer wished to support his bid.
Souop was represented by Fareed Scoon and Ricky Pandohie, while Sanjeev Lalla, Tamara Toolsie and Brent James represented the State.