Stabroek News
June 13, 2001

Four days after he was taken from his Alberttown residence and denied access to his family and attorney, Claudius Sam was yesterday produced in the High Court by the police on the order of Justice Claudette La Bennett who made a further order that he be released from police custody.

Sam, was picked up on Saturday from his Lot 6 First Street, Albertown home by members of the police Target Special Squad. He was then taken to the Sparendaam Police Station and later transferred to the Vigilance Police Station.

He was not seen until yesterday when he was brought to court.

Sam was brought to the High Court sitting in the back of a white pickup guarded by police.

The handcuffed man was then quickly escorted up the stairs of the court to the cheers of a small crowd and put to sit on a bench in the police outpost at the court.

When the matter was convened before Justice La Bennett, State Counsel, Candace Raphael who appeared in association with counsel Simone Morris, told the court that Sam was produced under the escort of Detective Constable Vincent Blair as was ordered. She said that the state had no information as to the status of the investigation being conducted by the police.

She said her instructions are that the man must report to the E&F Division, whose headquarters are at Eve Leary this morning. The visit, she said, is in relation to an allegation of robbery at Linden.

Sam's lawyer, Nigel Hughes in response told that court that his client has advised him that he has not been questioned in relation to any robbery in Linden. Hughes contended that no reason was advanced in court as to why Sam should not be released and as such asked that he be released immediately and the order be made absolute.

Raphael told the court that the State was not objecting to Sam being released.

Justice La Bennett then ordered that Sam be released and told Constable Blair that the police were free to invite him to visit the division and should he refuse then the police had the right to take action.

Prior to this court session, the matter was heard in Justice La Bennett's chambers when Raphael and Morris entered appearances for the state.

Upon hearing the state's representation the judge then ordered that Sam be produced at 3:30 pm and her order was complied with.

A writ of habeas corpus was filed by Hughes on the direction of Sam's fiancee, Melanie Chance.

In the affidavit in support of the writ, Chance said that Sam was picked up by the police last Saturday and he was assaulted before being taken to the Sparendaam Police Station.

She said that she immediately retained the service of Hughes who after contacting the station told her that she could take food for Sam.

However, when she visited the station the same day she was evicted without seeing Sam. On Sunday, according to the affidavit, Sam's mother, Janet Sam, visited the station to see her son and was told by an officer there "lady why you don't go along your way, your son is a thief and he done dead."

Last year Sam was freed on the charge of murdering cambio dealer, Neville Sarjoo.