Five officer cadets accused of gang raping a fellow trainee officer at the Defence Force’s Teteron base in Chaguaramas last year, were yesterday granted permission to be housed at the same military camp while awaiting approval of their bail.
Attorneys Daniel Khan and Ula Nathai-Lutchman made the application yesterday afternoon, after Michael Esdelle, Reinalo Cozier, Kendell Caton, Gabriel Joseph and Aleem Khan appeared before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court.
While each was granted $100,000 bail with their parents, who were present in court, serving as sureties, Khan and Nathai-Lutchman said it was likely they would not be able to receive approval for the bail by the time the court closed yesterday afternoon.
Khan and Nathai-Lutchman, who represented Caton, said in law the cadets were considered the property of the State and that the Defence Force would be better placed to hold them on remand than the prisons. Forde-John agreed and granted permission.
The group is accused of raping the female cadet officer at the Crow’s Nest Jetty at the Teteron base on October 29 last year. The cadets were not called upon to plead to the charge as it was laid indictably.
The 28-year-old female cadet officer claimed she was liming with her five male colleagues after daily training when they decided to take a swim. The victim said she was sitting on a rock inside the water and shortly before 8 pm she decided to return to the jetty to proceed to her quarters. However, she claimed as she was being assisted to climb onto the jetty, her colleagues allegedly took turns in raping her. She alleged she was subsequently threatened, hence her decision not to report the mater to the police. However, on March 17 the trainee went to the Carenage Police Station and made a report to Cpl Ricardo Nicome, who eventually charged them.
The T&T Guardian understands that the five officers were expected to complete their training and pass out as officers later this month.
The five officers were transported to the St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain courthouse in a T&T Regiment minibus. Dressed in suits, the cadet officers were allowed to walk through the courthouse gates without handcuffs while being supervised by police from the Court and Process Branch.
When the officers were eventually taken before Forde-John, the courtroom was cleared of the family members, the public and media, as is usually done in sexual offence cases to protect the identity of the victim, who is named when the charges are being read. Five senior Defence Force officers dressed in their formal uniforms were present for the hearing, as is customary in court appearances of members of the military.
Cozier was represented by Larry Williams, while Criston J Williams and Shane Patience represented Joseph and Khan. Joseph Phillip appeared for Esdelle.
The group will reappear in court on May 9.
