Vendor Wendell Baird spent last night in the Brickdam lockups on a charge of illegal vending with his attorney accusing the police of operating high handedly in denying the man station bail.
According to Attorney-at-law Gino Persaud, the man was arrested yesterday around 1.30 pm outside the Demico outlet opposite the Public Buildings for vending in the area and was taken to the Brickdam Police Station along with his drinks’ cooler.
Persaud related that he went to the station around 3 pm and was told by the female rank on duty that Baird was being charged with “unauthorised vending” and that she could not place him on station bail. This development, Persaud said, incensed him since it was a minor offence with which his client was to be charged.
“I think the refusal to grant station bail is highly excessive and an abuse of their power and I am disturbed about it,” Persaud stated. He said he was told only the commander could order the bail and asked to see him. The attorney said the particulars of the case were taken to the commander and the rank subsequently returned and informed him that the commander was unavailable but he could speak to another officer. According to Persaud he then approached the second officer and when he too learnt about the case he refused to grant Baird station bail.
“They abuse the 72 hours right [to hold a suspect], they don’t understand that it’s based on reasonable suspicion,” Persaud stated even as he noted that his client’s offence is most likely to result in a fine. “It doesn’t go down well that they’d let him sleep in that lockup for such a minor offence.”
Baird is due to appear in court today and Persaud said he hoped there would be nothing preventing his client from doing so.
