Covid19 halts probe into deaths of Bharatt murder suspects
Mc Donald Jacob. Photo by Sureash Cholai
THE investigation into the deaths of two murder suspects in police custody has been paused as investigators have either tested positive or are primary contacts for covid19.
Speaking with Newsday on Wednesday, DCP Mc Donald Jacob said 30 per cent of the investigating team is in quarantine. He said the investigation has reached the stage where the investigators are awaiting guidance from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the next step.
So far a total of 27 people have been interviewed, including members of the Defence Force, the Special Operations Response Team and the National Security Operations Centre (NSOC) in relation to the deaths of Andrew Morris and Joel Balcon.
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Attorney Gerald Ramdeen, left, speaks to media has his client Insp Mark Hernandez, head of SORT, looks on after Hernandez was released from the Maloney Police Station on Monday. Photo by Roger Jacob
A MISBEHAVIOUR charge has been laid against head of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) Insp Mark Hernandez.
The charge stems from the deaths of murder suspects Andrew Morris and Joel Balcon who were held during the investigation of the murder of court clerk, Andrea Bharatt, but died in police custody.
Hernandez was charged shortly after a High Court judge gave Police Commissioner Gary Griffith until 4.14 pm on Monday, to lay the misbehaviour charge or release him.
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SORT head to be charged with misbehaviour
Insp Mark Hernandez
HEAD of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) Insp Mark Hernandez is to be charged with the offence of misbehaviour.
Just before 2 pm on Monday, police received instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions to charge Hernandez.
At a hearing before Justice Betsy Ann Lambert-Peterson, attorney for the police Yohan Niles told the judge the process to charge Hernandez was under way.
Lambert-Peterson, in agreeing to a request by Hernandez’s lawyers, gave the Commissioner of Police until 4 pm to charge him, or release him.
Hernandez was at the Maloney police station and appeared before the judge virtually.