Tuesday, October 20 2009

PRESIDENT of the TT Magistrates’ Association, Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan yesterday condemned the execution of murder accused Peter Garcia saying it was a very serious issue and showed that crime was coming “too close for comfort”.

When initially approached by reporters in an impromptu “conference” following a court matter in which she dismissed charges against Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls (SEE PAGE 7), Cardenas-Ragoonanan was at first reluctant to comment on the Garcia killing.

But pressed further by reporters, the senior magistrate said the incident was reminiscent of a “very serious” and “ever-pressing” issue.

“It is a very serious thing, (Magistrates’) courts in Couva, Chaguanas...there are a lot of serious security concerns, (but) these are ever present issues we have faced over the years. But now for whatever reason, it is just too close for comfort,” Cardenas-Ragoonanan said.

Although she did not give suggestions on what could be done to resolve these security concerns, she stressed that the situation needed to be immediately addressed.

“Something needs to be addressed because these are conditions of concern.

People on the premises (of the courts), prisoners transported, the whole security issue needs to be addressed and addressed soon,” Cardenas-Ragoonanan added.

Shortly afterwards, as he walked in the hallway of the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Courthouse, Mc Nicolls also expressed concern over the Garcia killing.

However, he said he did not want to comment until he was “more aware of the facts”.