Fears of TB at Richmond Hill Prison

High court judges in Grenada have decided to take precautionary measures by not allowing accused persons held at the Richmond Hill prison from attending Tuesday's start of the October Assizes amidst fears of an outbreak of tuberculosis at the institution.

One day before the start of the new sitting of the court in its criminal jurisdiction, the Grenada Bar Association (GBA) wrote to Number One High Court judge, Justice Clare Henry expressing concerns about an alleged out break of the disease among some inmates at the prison.

The allegation has been strongly denied by the island's Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Dilip Mukerjee who said there are no confirmed cases of Tuberculosis (TB) at the Richmond Hill Prison. He said that contrary to reports being circulated by the Bar Association regarding the presence of TB at the prisons, laboratory test results have indicated otherwise.

The CMO on Monday dismissed the rumours of an outbreak of the disease, adding that an inmate was hospitalised and tested for TB and those results all turned up negative. Dr. Mukerjee said that the public and families of inmates at the prison should not panic since the Ministry of Health is committed to the health and well being of the nation.

According to an official government statement, the Ministry of Health "is aware that the Bar through its president Mr. Ruggles Ferguson brought the matter to the attention of the Registrar and Chief Magistrate advising them that no prisoner should be brought to the court for the criminal assizes which begins tomorrow Tuesday October 9, 2007, or otherwise without being tested and cleared by health officials for active signs of (TB)".

"However the Ministry of Health will like to state clearly that there are no outbreaks of (TB) at the prison", it said. The Ministry also announced that it will like Grenadians "to rest assure that it is doing all in its power to ensure the health and safety of the inmates and in light of that random tests were carried done at the prisons recently much to the satisfaction of the Ministry".

At the start of the assizes, Justice Henry told the court that with regards to the concerns expressed over the health issue at the prisons, the court took the decision to adjourn the arraignment of prisoners for one week in the first instance.

Her Ladyship indicated that the court is not saying that there is a problem existing at the prisons, but that in the best interest of everyone they will first like to obtain accurate information. Several cases of murder and sexual offenses dominate the 82 cases listed for hearing in the current sitting.

Justice Henry extolled the jurors about the importance of their role and admonished them to take that role very seriously, and to see it as a learning experience. She told the court that she was confident that with the experience of her colleague judge, Justice Francis Cumberbatch,  they will be able to "tackle the list."

GBA's President, Ruggles Ferguson gave the court the commitment that the defense attorneys will do everything possible to ensure that the assizes proceed smoothly. Acting DPP, Dione Lawrence expressed the wish that the momentous feat accomplished at the last assizes in having the cause list reduced will roll over into this present one.

She said that her department will seek to give the "antique matters" and the murder cases first priority when the assizes begin in earnest next week. Out of the 82 cases, 19 are for sexual offenses. They include rape, incest, unlawful carnal knowledge, defilement of a female, and indecent assault. Ten of the cases on the cause list are for murder, and two for manslaughter.

The murder cases include the Grand Anse killing of 25-year old Rennie St. John on June 30 at the hands of three suspected gangsters using a cutlass to inflict wounds upon him. The three young men, Delon Honore, Calvin Simon and Anderson Thomas have been charged with the murder.

Dangerous harm, grievous harm, wounding, assault, attempted murder, and maiming also feature prominently on the cause list for the October assizes. Quite recently this country has been plagued with an upsurge in the use of cutlasses in violent acts involving young people.

The charge of sedition brought in 2002 against British-trained broadcaster Stanley Charles is again listed for hearing. Of public interest is a case of bigamy brought against Lexton Robertson. Bigamy is a crime of someone being married to two women or two men at the same time.

Once it is proven in court that there was no annulment of the first marriage, the second will automatically become null and void. The crime of bigamy carries a sentence of a mandatory prison term for a maximum of seven years.

When asked to comment on that crime, former magistrate Henry Paryag told GRENADA TODAY he has never done a case of bigamy in private practice, nor has had any come before him while being on the magistracy bench.

"That's probably the first one I have come across since I have been in Grenada for the past 20 years," the former magistrate said. Hearings in the October assizes starts on October 15 at High Court Number One, and on October 16 at High Court Number Two.