Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC, has issued a warning to the media over pre trial publicity in the case of 11 men charged with murder of former special State prosecutor Dana Seetahal, SC.
Gaspard gave the warning yesterday in a press release issued exactly one week after the group’s lawyer Criston J Williams made a plea for his (Gaspard’s) intervention on the issue during their first court appearance before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar, in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Court.
Gaspard’s advice to the media also comes after both Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley spoke extensively on the case at their respective political meetings last week.
Stating that the accused men are presumed innocent until proven guilty, Gaspard said: “The recent appearance in court of those charged with Ms Seetahal’s murder and the heightening of the public’s curiosity, the passing references to this matter on the political hustings and the political season, all make for a dangerous medley and accordingly, I have a legal duty to remind you that you are not to publish any material which has the potential to prejudice either the State’s rights or the rights of the accused persons to a fair trial.
Even as he warned that any infractions to his warning may lead to contempt of court proceedings for offending media practitioners and organisations, Gaspard acknowledged that the media has a major role to play in ensuring the smooth running of the criminal justice system.
“As always, I give this directive being mindful of the fine balance that must be struck among the considerations which inform a fair trial, the rights of the State and the invaluable democratic function that the press perform, especially within a desireable system of open justice,” Gaspard said.
Reputed gang leader Rajaee Ali, his brothers Hamid and Ishmael and eight members of Ali’s family mosque in Carapo, Arima-brothers Devaughn and Stephan Cummings, Ricardo Stewart, Gareth Wiseman, Kevin Parkinson, Leston Gonzales and Roget Boucher have all be charged with murdering Seetahal on May 4, last year.
The group will reappear before Ayers-Caesar on August 24.