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When informed Africans speak of the lasting legacy of the plantation culture on the Caribbean psyche and the ongoing racism that governs our mainstream media, education system and legal system, people are quite willing to turn their heads and accuse us of being racist or living in the past. Yet here we see, as usual, the divisions between Africans and Indians benefiting whites as it always has. In an article carried on Trinidadandtobagonews.com, the question was raised whether, despite the media polls, the average Trinidadian is in support of the death penalty at all. The point was made that certainly UNC supporters who claim the ruling PNM to be racist and criminal would not support a PNM government having control over lives of so-called criminals, political or otherwise. Certainly, PNM supporters would not support the penalty under a UNC government either for similar reasons. I am certain that people can recall the furore that arose over the hanging of Dole Chadee and his gang and the insinuation that they were executed to prevent links between their activities and the then UNC Attorney General, Ramesh Maharaj from being highlighted. One rumour has it that the then Attorney General promised US authorities to have Dole Chadee and his gang executed in exchange for commuting the death sentence of his brother Krishna Maharaj (who was on death row in Florida) to life imprisonment. Following the execution of Dole Chadee and his gang, his brother's sentence was commuted
http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=13931.0This excerpt is the only reference I've found regarding the case on the forum:QuoteWhen informed Africans speak of the lasting legacy of the plantation culture on the Caribbean psyche and the ongoing racism that governs our mainstream media, education system and legal system, people are quite willing to turn their heads and accuse us of being racist or living in the past. Yet here we see, as usual, the divisions between Africans and Indians benefiting whites as it always has. In an article carried on Trinidadandtobagonews.com, the question was raised whether, despite the media polls, the average Trinidadian is in support of the death penalty at all. The point was made that certainly UNC supporters who claim the ruling PNM to be racist and criminal would not support a PNM government having control over lives of so-called criminals, political or otherwise. Certainly, PNM supporters would not support the penalty under a UNC government either for similar reasons. I am certain that people can recall the furore that arose over the hanging of Dole Chadee and his gang and the insinuation that they were executed to prevent links between their activities and the then UNC Attorney General, Ramesh Maharaj from being highlighted. One rumour has it that the then Attorney General promised US authorities to have Dole Chadee and his gang executed in exchange for commuting the death sentence of his brother Krishna Maharaj (who was on death row in Florida) to life imprisonment. Following the execution of Dole Chadee and his gang, his brother's sentence was commutedNow it seems that the case has nuff traction and CREDIBLE political support.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/6938440.stm
This thing is very high profile. Backing from former AGs and the Cabinet doesn't come that easily
... It is a shame that the Florida prosecution authorities did not notify the British consul when Krishna Maharaj was arrested. They broke their international obligation. Some may regard that as a technicality, but I 26 Mar 2002 : Column 782think that it might turn out to be more. I believe that if Krishna Maharaj had had effective representation from the beginning, he would not have been convicted of the murders for which he was sentenced...The following elements exist in the Krishna Maharaj case. He was arrested on the day the two men were killed. The detective did not take a paraffin test on his hand to see whether gunpowder was there. For anything other than a professional contract killing, that paraffin test is always introduced. Another factor in the detective work is that the detective concerned took 21 witness statements, 20 of which were notarised, typed, signed by the witness and recorded. The sole exception was the interview with the suspect, Krishna Maharaj. I would suggest, putting it gently, that that allows room for dispute or error in what Krishna Maharaj actually said in answer to questions. This is not one of the cases in which it is suggested that the accused was tortured, bullied or coerced into making a false confession. In this case, Krishna Maharaj always denied the charge. Furthermore, it is acknowledged—it is possible to check this—that an assistant state prosecutor, Myra Trinchett, went to Mr. Maharaj's cell before the trial and said words to the effect of, "Why don't you take me or somebody else on as your defence attorney for $50,000?" Krishna Maharaj says that she told him everyone knew he was innocent, and that he would be treated leniently. That visit is acknowledged. What has not yet been acknowledged—although the prison records ought to demonstrate it—is whether a man called Harvey Swinkle went to Krishna Maharaj's cell before Myra Trinchett and asked for $75,000. The reason that the price dropped from $75,000 to $50,000 is that 26 Mar 2002 : Column 784Krishna Maharaj had passed a lie-detector test in the meantime, and his innocence was rather better established. The prison ought to have a record—it has not yet disclosed it—of whether that visit by Harvey Swinkle was made.
I find it laughably spurious that the Ass't Prosecutor would go to his cell and offer to represent him for any amount of money...the assertion is beyond ridiculous.
