Former chief magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen, who was being sought by police in connection with the July 17 Ministry of Health fire investigation, was arrested early yesterday morning at her home and released late last evening on station bail.
Police, according to the woman’s attorney Gregory Gaskin, arrived at the former chief magistrate’s South Ruimveldt home at approximately 5.45 am yesterday. Holder-Allen was awakened from her bed, given time to dress and was escorted to the Brickdam Police Station where she was questioned by police in the presence of her attorney. There were no female police ranks present at the woman’s residence at the time she was arrested, Gaskin said.
After spending more than 12 hours in police custody, Holder-Allen was released on $10,000 station bail. The woman’s sudden release came as a surprise to Gaskin, who explained that police had earlier indicated that Holder-Allen would remain in custody overnight.
Gaskin believes that his client’s incarceration had less to do with the Health Ministry fire and more to do with her relation to Keith Ferrier, who was on Wednesday charged with arson, and her association with social activists Mark Benschop, Norris Witter and Lincoln Lewis. The social activists were recently arrested for disorderly behaviour after staging a protest outside Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.
“If ten questions were asked [during the police interview],” Gaskin said last evening while speaking to reporters from his South Road office, “five had to do with her knowledge of and association with Mark Benschop, Norris Witter and Lincoln Lewis…so you see where most of the emphasis was?”
The other five questions, Gaskin said, dealt with Holder-Allen’s relation to one of the three Health Ministry fire accused, Ferrier, and allegations of a conspiracy.
Holder-Allen, who is also the leader of a recently formed political party, was questioned about her party’s alleged involvement in the fire.
Gaskin said the fact that his client is related to minibus driver Ferrier is publicly known and had been acknowledged by Holder-Allen. Police, Gaskin explain-ed, are alleging that Ferrier was seen on the “night” in question driving a vehicle belonging to the former chief magistrate. However, his client has since advised police that she and her husband were at home that night and so was their vehicle. Holder-Allen, the attorney further reported, told police that her vehicle was on her premises that night, was never lent to anyone and was only driven by herself and her husband. The vehicle is currently in police custody, Gaskin reported last evening, and police indicated that it was “assisting them with investigations.”
“It was quite clear to us that the police were clearly on a fishing expedition,” Gaskin said. “…it is an attempt to embarrass the lady as well as cause her some discomfort and dismay.”
There has been no indication from police as to whether Holder-Allen will be charged, Gaskin said. He maintained that his client was in no way involved in the Ministry of Health fire and the allegations against her are baseless.
The former chief magistrate is the third person to be taken into police custody since last Thursday for questioning in relation to the fire. Police had earlier sought Heston Bostwick and Archie Poole for questioning in relation to the same matter. Both men were also released on $10,000 station bail. Poole’s attorney, Leslie Sobers, informed Stabroek News last evening of Poole’s release.
Holder-Allen had earlier indicated to Capitol News that she would not turn herself into police without her attorney.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, police had said that they have noted comments made on television and in the print media by Holder-Allen and said that on Tuesday, a message was left at her home for her to report to the Brickdam Police Station. Police, according to the press release, wanted to question Holder-Allen in relation to some issues with regard to the fire at the Ministry of Health. ”This has become necessary based on information which has surfaced during the course of the investigation,” the statement had said.
President Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference on Wednesday said a vehicle belonging to the former chief magistrate was driven to a Meadowbrook house on the night that the channa bombs used to set the Ministry of Health building alight were being made. Holder-Allen later dismissed this as “total nonsense” on the Capitol News report.
Jagdeo stated that law enforcement officials have identified the perpetrators. “We have found the people who started the fire. We have found them because they have confessed and through caution statements, they painted a picture,” he said, adding, “they said where they bought the gasoline from. We went to the person they bought the gasoline from. The person said yes, gave a statement saying yes I recognize this person.”
The President said they had the names of persons, from whom the bottles were purchased as well as the house in Meadowbrook where the incendiary devices were made. He declared that it was known who made the devices and when they went to the Ministry of Health building.
