Case against 800 warders being heard - Knight to testify for the prosecution

Knight

MINISTER OF National Security and Justice, K.D. Knight, is expected to make another appearance this morning, before a panel hearing the case brought against some 800 prison warders interdicted since February, 2000.

Mr. Knight has been one of the main witnesses for the prosecution in the case against the warders who were interdicted on quarter pay, after they took industrial action in protest against the re-appointment of the Commissioner of Corrections, Lt. Colonel John Prescod.

The Minister is expected to be questioned primarily in terms of a letter, purportedly sent to him during the industrial action by University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) vice-president, Lambert Brown, stating that the warders were taking industrial action.

The letter has been one of the main pieces of evidence supporting the Government's claim that the warders were on a sick-out in breach of their terms of employment.

Mr. Knight has already appeared in the issue on previous hearings involving warders from the St. Andrew Remand Centre, Stony Hill and the Fort Augusta women's prison in St. Catherine. However, this is his first appearance since the hearings were opened to the public on June 25.

In the meantime, a new panel has been appointed to hear the current case involving 45 warders from the Tamarind Farm Prison in St. Catherine. This panel is headed by William Chin See, former Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) chairman, and also includes the Rev. Dr. Sam Green and former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Everard Williams. The previous panel was comprised of retired High Court judge Avril McKain, former police Commissioner Her-man Ricketts and former Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) chairman K.K. Walters who was later replaced by Eileen Biamby.

After more than 18 months, the PSC has only brought charges against approximately 63 of the 800 warders involved. Two have had the charges against them dismissed and have been readmitted to work, five have been suspended without pay, 11 have had their case part-heard and are now before the Supreme Court and 45 are currently being heard. Another 20 warders at Tamarind Farm are still awaiting summonses to appear before the Tribunal.

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