Constable LeVon Sylvester reportedly told his colleagues on Tuesday night that he had no idea he was assisting alleged fraudster Vicky Boodram in escaping from legal custody when he picked her up at the Women’s Prison in Golden Grove on Monday.
Northern Division officers arrested their colleague at his Santa Rosa, Arima home through his cell phone signal around 11 pm, and he initially told them he was unaware he was being sought for interrogation in connection with Boodram’s escape.
Sylvester was still being interrogated by officers from the Professional Standards Bureau last night.
From what they had been able to piece together up to yesterday, around 4.30 pm Monday Sylvester picked up SRP Lisa Navarro at her Arouca home and told her she was needed to secure the release of an inmate at a female prison. The two arrived at the Women’s Prison in a marked Nissan X-trail around 5.15 pm and presented prisons officers with what appeared to be a court order requesting that Boodram appear before a Tunapuna magistrate.
After receiving the request, prison officers contacted their superior, a warrants officer, and informed him of the situation and were given the green light to release Boodram into the care of the police. After collecting Boodram, Navarro was dropped off at her home and both Sylvester and Boodram left.
According to CCTV footage, Sylvester parked the police vehicle at the back of the Tunapuna Police Station sometime after 6 pm and left. There was no signs of Boodram.
Navarro reported to work at the Tunapuna Police Station and was arrested on Tuesday morning. Sometime between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, however, someone also contacted the prison and said Boodram had secured bail.
The prison service became concerned when no documentation affirming this was presented. Boodram was scheduled to appear before both Port-of-Spain and Siparia Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday. Her Port-of-Spain matters have been adjourned to next month.
It was alleged that both Boodram and a male companion arrived at the Siparia Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where she told a clerk she had been granted bail and has not been seen since.
The homes of the two officers and Boodram’s were searched yesterday. Police said they also interviewed some people outside the prison and police officers and are looking for others.
Court officials told the T&T Guardian yesterday that the official request for an inmate to be released is made through documents that are stamped with the necessary court rubber-stamp and Judiciary letterhead, but noted these can be easily duplicated.
A prison official yesterday said every time an inmate is released or received, police officers escorting the prisoner present documentation stating the inmate has has to appear in court or has been returned to prison.
The official said they have been requesting an integrated system between the courts, police and prisons for a seamless transition, but that has not been forthcoming. The prison officer added that the only time a prison officer escorts a prisoner to court is when he has been convicted on one matter and has a pending matter before the courts.
A media release from the Prison Officers’ Association yesterday said the prison keeps “remandees” on the request of the court until otherwise instructed, adding it is the police service which is responsible for transporting inmates to and from court.
“This incident provides an opportunity to look at how the courts, prison and police manage these offenders, especially in the area of how they communicate. In these modern times, with a great number of technological advancements in offender management, we need to get our collective acts together,” the release said.
“Management of these very important agencies/organisations on behalf of the people of Trinidad and Tobago can no longer be business as usual.
“The continued apparent one dimensional approach to addressing crime and criminality continues to do us a disservice.
“We would like to see this particular incident crystalise efforts to bring us to the point in recognising the criminal justice system is to be managed as one unit and not separate entities competing for limited resources, believing one is more important than the other.”