Wednesday, March 19 2008

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RAINBOW CHICKS: Baby chickens sprayed with various colours of Abeer powder. As Easter is right around the corner, these chicks were seen on display f...

ATTORNEY GENERAL Bridgid Annisette-George yesterday said 3,065 persons were charged for committing 51,418 serious crimes from 2003 to 2006. However she could not say how many of these persons have been granted or refused bail or had committed any additional crimes while they were out on bail.

The AG said the Judiciary has informed her that “given the constraints, it is estimated that the minimum time required to complete this exercise is approximately six months.”

In a written response to a question from Independent Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran, Annisette-George said 20,582 of the 51,418 reported crimes for the 2003-2006 period were possession of drugs. This was followed by burglaries and break-ins (19,632), larceny (8,631), drug trafficking (2,143), kidnappings (906), assault (822), assaulting a peace officer (768) and kidnapping for ransom (153). The highest number of persons charged over this period was 22,360 for drug possession while the smallest number of persons charged was 173 for kidnapping for ransom.

The AG said she was unable to obtain information about how many of these persons were granted or refused bail or committed more crimes while they were out on bail. She explained that only the National Security Ministry was able to provide information on the number of crimes committed and persons charged for those crimes.

Annisette-George added that the Judiciary’s statistical unit has started to gather the data requested but has encountered “a number of obstacles” which have affected this exercise. These include tracking and locating matters where bail is given or refused and liasing with police officers in order to determine which of the persons who are on bail may have committed other crimes.

The information which Annisette-George was able to provide the Senate with was provided by the Police Service’s Organised Crime Narcotics and Firearms Bureau, CID, Modus Operandi Bureau and Crime Records Office.