CAN the dead tell the truth?
A young social activist and blogger believes so.
Vishal Persad, of Millennials for Change, has embarked on a freedom of information project to compel the police, or other authorities, to release the investigative files of notorious criminals or those perceived to have been at the time the authorities were investigating them.
Closed Cases: The Dead Speak was inspired by Parker Higgins, an activist in Brooklyn, New York, who started a similar project, FOIA the Dead, in the US.
Both are long-term transparency projects that use the Freedom of Information Act to get information about the dead. FOIA the Dead seeks information from the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The US-based project received institutional support from the Freedom of the Press Foundation. So far there are 5,763 pages of FBI records on 60 public figures on its website, www.foiathedead.org.
Persad’s aim for Closed Cases is “for the dead to tell the country the truth” and to “help foster transparency and accountability in law enforcement.”
He believes the release of the files will allow the public to better understand how investigations are conducted and evidence is gathered.
“This will help ensure the public is informed about the true facts of the case, rather than relying on rumours or speculation.
“The disclosure of investigative files can also help law enforcement learn from past mistakes and improve their investigative techniques.
“Succinctly stated, the disclosure of investigative files into notorious criminals can help promote transparency, accountability, and accuracy in law enforcement. It can also help serve as a valuable historical record and help prevent the spread of media and political propaganda.”
Over the past year, Persad’s group Millennials for Change has been able to make progress in getting information from the public service on the recruitment of employees.
In June 2023, Persad requested the investigative files of drug kingpin Dole Chadee, Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr, former chief justice Satnarine Sharma and former commissioner of police Randolph Burroughs from the police.
He was told that “thorough and diligent searches were made for the requested information, however, searches proved futile” so his requests were denied.
In September 2023, Persad then made similar requests to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for documents relating to all criminal charges brought against the four.
He received only an acknowledgement from the DPP’s secretariat.
On January 2, Persad filed a judicial review application against the DPP.
On February 12, Justice Devindra Rampersad granted him leave to pursue his lawsuit which asked for an order to compel the DPP to decide on his request for information or provide the information.
The matter will again come up for a hearing on April 24.
Millennials for Change also has other FOIA projects in the pipeline. One seeks to examine the policy and procedures to grant firearm user licences and hopes to receive inform
