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Attorney Anand Ramlogan, SC. FILE PHOTO –

FORMER attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, will return to the Port of Spain magistrates’ court in January for a status hearing of his witness-tampering case, which has been delayed because of a constitutional claim he filed in July.

On Monday, Ramlogan appeared virtually before Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle.

He was expected to go on trial in July, but this had to be abandoned after he filed the constitutional claim, in which he contends the police wrongfully used the warrant process. He also contends the judge who signed off on interception orders did so on the basis of apparent bias.

Ramlogan was charged in 2017 with misbehaviour in public office and obstruction of justice.

At Monday’s hearing, the chief magistrate was told the constitutional claim had been adjourned to November 4, at which time Justice Nadia Kangaloo is expected to give further directions for a full hearing.

Although his attorneys asked for a date in November for a status hearing, and the lead attorney for the State, Edward Jenkins, KC, asked for a date in December, Earle-Caddle adjourned the matter to January 9.

She said the only “bugbear” delaying the start of the matter before her was the High Court matter, since everything has already been filed by the prosecution.

If Ramlogan’s constitutional claim is determined before January 9, when the parties return to the magistrates’ court, new trial dates will be set then.

Ramlogan is represented by attorneys Pamela Elder, SC, and Russell Warner. Appearing with Jenkins is deputy DPP Tricia Hudlin-Cooper.

The case against Ramlogan centres on an allegation by director of the Police Complaints Authority David West that Ramlogan approached him to withdraw his witness statement in a defamation case against then Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in 2014.

Ramlogan is accused of obstructing justice by using threats and bribery to persuade West not to give evidence in Ramlogan’s defamation case against Rowley.

He is also accused of misbehaving in public office by improperly trying to prevent West’s testifying on Rowley’s behalf.

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More women than men are accessing Saint Lucia’s national helpline which provides confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Social Worker Bradley Joseph, acknowledging that he might not have the actual numbers, said that based on his own helpline experience, more women than men access the service.

“More women would call and speak about their issues but men would be more reluctant,” Joseph stated.

He spoke last week during a panel discussion on the National Television Network (NTN) to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day, observed on September 10.

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The theme for the discussion was ‘Suicide Prevention – Creating Hope Through Action.’

During the discussion, Clinical Counselor Alison Joseph-Edward disclosed that from 2017 to 2020, Saint Lucia recorded at least 43 suicides.

She noted that of the 43 suicides, only three involved women.

Joseph-Edward observed that this reflected data from other countries where men accounted for most suicides.

Panellists on the NTN programme underscored the need for people with mental health issues to get the help they need.

However, they acknowledged that personal, community, and societal stigma, represent a challenge.

“In the Caribbean, we have carried a very moralistic view of what mental wellness is, ” observed Robert Huggins.

Huggins is the Programme Lead at Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Detoxification and Rehabilitation Centre.

He explained that people have the idea that mental wellness and substance abuse issues pertain to individuals with weak minds and if those affected put their minds to it, they can recover.

However, Huggins noted that issues like depression and addictions are clear medical illnesses.

“We know that they are medical diseases. These diseases just happen to affect the brain and can affect personality and everything else as well,” he observed.

And he asserted that because of the moralistic view of those conditions, there’s a lot of shame and guilt.

Huggins stated that as a result, people do not come forward and get the help they need.

People can access the national helpline by dialling #203 from a landline or mobile telephone.

The call is free and the helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Headline photo: Stock image

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El secretario del Departamento de Salud (DS), Carlos Mellado López, informó que, por el momento, las autoridades no pueden concluir el rescate de un hombre de 82 años que falleció el sábado en un refugio, en Culebra, mientras esperaba el paso del huracán Fiona, que en ese entonces aún era tormenta.

“En este momento, no se puede volar por el tiempo. Lo otro es… También nos comunicamos con las líneas aéreas locales de Vieques y Culebra, y los pilotos alegan que para Culebra, específicamente, es muy difícil poder aterrizar, y ellos no van a arriesgarse a tener un accidente”, expresó el funcionario.

Asimismo, indicó que tras comunicarse con el alcalde de dicho municipio, Edilberto Romero Llovet, acordaron que una vez mejoren las condiciones climatológicas, la Guardia Nacional o cualquier otra autoridad correspondiente se hará cargo del caso.

Por su parte, el gobernador Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia informó que, al momento, la causa aparente de muerte es por causas naturales, aunque reiteró que el Instituto de Ciencias Forenses  (ICF) hará la autopsia correspondiente.

Pendientes para ampliación.

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