A former police officer in Antigua and Barbuda has filed a legal lawsuit against the Superintendent of Prisons, Lt Col. Eugene Phillip, and four wardens.
Dominican, Joseph Peters, was fired from the force after he was found guilty of a crime called “demanding with menace”, or bribery.
He was sentenced to prison in December 2017 and is claiming that he was severely beaten by prison officers on April 28th at Her Majesty’s Prison.
His lawyer, Wendel Robinson -the former police commissioner of the twin-island state- said a report was made following the incident and an affidavit was sent to the prison superintendent and the Police Commissioner, Dominican, Atlee Rodney.
“I have no choice. It’s been over a month and they have refused to tell me whether investigations have started. My client was beaten in the presence of a very senior prison officer. He sustained a lot of internal injuries and a broken nose. I am suing for damages,” he said.
Robinson suspects that those who received the affidavit were deliberately avoiding the matter. “I have written to the police commissioner before and he responds to me promptly on every matter. Why is it that this one is different? And why after over one month the prison superintendent is so silent on the matter,” Robinson asked.
The attorney, in the lawsuit, is demanding monetary compensation for the breaching of his client’s constitutional rights through torture, inhumane conditions and degrading treatment.
“I expected that in the public interest for an investigation to be done and I expect that the police will investigate the matter. There just seems to be a loud wall of silence. The investigations should be done and let the chips fall where they may,” Robisnson said.
Furthermore, Robinson said the prison authorities waited eight days before they took his client to seek medical attention for the injuries he sustained during the alleged beating.
Joseph’s nose was broken and he is still awaiting surgery to have it repaid.
Robinson says that matter will form the basis of the lawsuit because, according to him, Joseph’s health has been seriously compromised as a result of the careless attitudes by the prison officers.
Joseph was released from prison on June 03rd, about three weeks before the stipulated date for his release after his attorney filed a writ of Habeas Corpus in court.
Apparently, Joseph’s time on remand was not considered when his jail time was calculated. The court agreed and freed Joseph on June 03rd instead of June 24th.
i hope u r not one of them wicked cops that
love beat up ppl if ah so well bro karma jus hit u in the face ,mi na feel sorry for no police when they fall
nobody is going to feel sorry for police officers these days when they run afoul of the law. just so it go