[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen a 2015 inquest declared the death of 23-year-old Chakadan an “unlawful police killing,” his mother, Frances Daniel, considered her prayers answered. However, there remained one small hurdle.
“The matter now goes to the High Court,” she said in 2015, “and you can never tell how long this matter will last.” It had appeared for some time that Chakadan’s untimely death while in police custody would end up among the 400 or so cold cases on police record. But, on December 5, five years after the police claimed Chakadan had been found hanging in his cell at the Micoud police station on October 23, 2013, the officers in whose custody he had been, were brought in for questioning. At the time of writing, no charges have been laid.
At a recent press conference to announce that the Police Welfare Association had readjusted its relationship with the Trade Union Federation, the PWA president, Travis Chicot, said that while the Association had no quarrel with the coroner’s report on the Chakadan matter, the implicated officers will remain on the force until the case has been judicially resolved. He said: “What is required of the Welfare Association at this time is that we continue to show support, to continue to meet with the officers and to ensure that what they need is in place for them, such as counselling, and the opportunity to secure proper legal representation that is needed.”
Chicot also addressed the IMPACS matter and made this promise to reporters: “Come January 2019, we intend every week to issue a statement on IMPACS. We’ve had support from attorneys from Trinidad who were here with us, and they’ve pledged to assist our members. The PWA supports prosecution based on evidence; the PWA will support the prosecution of any police officer once there is sufficient evidence before the court.”
He added: “We believe no court in Saint Lucia should be used for show business, and if we are going to prosecute people based on pleasing anybody, we ought never to use the courts for that.” The president repeated William Ewart Gladstone’s admonition: “Justice delayed is justice denied,” and called for a final decision early in the new year about the future of IMPACS.
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