10 years after Dana Seetahal’s murder …
(Trinidad Guardian) Ten years after the murder of Dana Seetahal, SC, Direc-tor of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard says his office is still awaiting documents from the Judiciary needed for the case to be set for trial.
In the interim, the slain senior counsel’s family, friends and colleagues believe the long wait for justice is a betrayal of her legacy.
But DPP Gaspard on Friday told Guardian Media that he cannot proceed with the matter until the Judiciary sends the completed committal proceedings from the preliminary inquiry to his office.
Responding to questions for an update on the case, Gaspard said, “I cannot prepare and file the indictment until those documents are sent to my office. This isn’t a matter of choice. It is what the law requires.”
It will soon be a four-year wait for those documents from the court, as ten men were committed in July 2020 to stand trial for Seetahal’s murder.
The former State prosecutor was ambushed and shot dead around 12.05 am on May 4, 2014, along Hamilton Holder Street, Woodbrook, while returning to her One Woodbrook Place home after leaving the Ma Pau casino along Ariapita Avenue.
An autopsy revealed the former independent senator was shot five times by her assailants.
On July 25, 2015, Rajaee Ali, his brothers, Ishmael and Hamid Ali, Devaughn Cummings, Ricardo Stewart, Earl Richards, Stephan Cummings, Kevin Parkinson, Leston Gonzales, Roget Boucher and Gareth Wiseman were charged with the crime.
Stephan Cummings was initially charged with the group but was made a State witness after he agreed to testify against his former friends and his brother.
In a statement sent to Guardian Media on Friday, Seetahal’s family lamented, “The lack of resolution in Dana Seetahal’s case is not just a failure of our justice system; it is a betrayal of her legacy and an affront to the principles she stood for. The delay in bringing those accused of her murder to trial serves as a stark reminder of the impunity that persists in our society and the urgent need for accountability.”
Seetahal’s family is now urging authorities to redouble efforts to ensure her killers face the “full force of the law”.
“We call for a swift and transparent trial to commence, providing the closure that her family and loved ones so rightfully deserve. Anything less would be an injustice not only to Dana Seetahal’s memory but to the ideals of justice and fairness that she championed throughout her life,” the statement said. The family added that Seetahal was not only a prominent and respected person in the legal field but a beacon of integrity, who tirelessly advocated for justice and the rule of law.
“Her untimely demise sent shockwaves through the nation, shaking the very foundation of our legal system and sparking widespread outrage. Yet, despite a decade passing since her senseless murder, justice continues to elude us,” the family said.
In paying respect to her legacy, her sister and former director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Susan Francois, sought to underscore that, “It is deeply ironic that this tireless advocate for justice and the rule of law is still denied justice in her country.”
Meanwhile, former Law Association president and Seetahal’s friend, Sophia Chote, said, “Justice was something that Dana fought for throughout her career. She did so unswervingly and with commitment and integrity. If we are to honour her memory, we need to give value to and revive all those components which make up justice.”
Senior counsel Larry Lalla reflected on Seetahal as his lecturer, mentor and friend. But he too expressed frustration with the delay in justice.
“It is unfortunate that after the passage of such a long time, finality has not been brought to the burning question of “why”? Why was she taken away from us in the prime of her life and career? The T&T public and indeed the legal profession need an answer to this question. We continue to hope. I have no doubt she exists in peace and love in the great beyond,” Lalla lamented.
Adding to the praise heaped on her in memoriam, former junior attorneys at El Dorado Chambers, Wendell Lucas, Ria Reyes and Cassandra Seetahal said, “As a legal powerhouse and pillar within the legal fraternity of Trinidad and Tobago, Dana Seetahal was a mentor, beloved friend and trusted colleague to many. As a respected columnist, she lent her voice to the voiceless and kept those in authority accountable for their actions. Ten years later, as we reflect on the tragedy of her passing and the void that was created within the legal profession and wider society, we pray that her legacy will continue to inspire us all.”
