AN Arima magistrate on Wednesday ordered that a 44-year-old hairdresser should get back $64,935, part of which was from a Drug Sou Sou (DSS) hand.
Magistrate Brambhanan Dubay denied police an extension to keep the money, which they seized in February, and ordered it be returned to the owner, Cindy Brooks.
Dubay said the police did not provide sufficient evidence to allow the continued detention of the money.
Lasana Murray, Brooks’ attorney, said the magistrate ordered that all the money returned, including whatever interest that may have accrued.
According to the case history, Brook’s Malabar home was searched on February 21 for arms and ammunition. None were found, but police seized the money.
Brooks claimed that $40,000 out of the money was from her "hand" from DSS and the rest was savings. The $40,000, she claimed, was for someone else who had pooled their resources with her to get a bigger payout.
The police, who were represented by Cpl Mings of the Financial Intelligence Bureau, first applied to have the money seized on February 22 and then on May 20. The case was adjourned four times, ending on Wednesday with Dubay’s decision. Police claimed the money seized was the proceeds of a crime not committed by Brooks.
Last November, investors in DSS were told to go to the court to get back their investments after police seized $7.7 million from the home of the founder of DSS, Kerron Clarke, at Kathleen Warner Drive, Phase One La Horquetta. So far none of the applications have been successful.
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