Police should pay for malicious prosecution

A HIGH Court judge has dismissed a malicious prosecution lawsuit brought by a woman who was acquitted on charges of larceny and once again called for parliamentary intervention in relation to the State having to pay when errant police officers engage in malicious prosecution.

Justice Frank Seepersad made the comments on Tuesday in the case involving Premabhakti Samaroo, an immigration consultant. Investigations into Samaroo by the police stemmed from the authenticity of a work permit for a Portuguese national which was queried by the Ministry of National Security. In 2018, she was arrested, detained and prosecuted on charges of larceny of $50,000 and $27,000.

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The proceedings were discharged in 2021, and she filed the lawsuit in 2024 against the State, seeking damages for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. The defendant denied that either the prosecution or the deprivation of liberty was unlawful.