• by IPS Correspondents (port of spain)
• Thursday, November 17, 1994
• Inter Press Service

PORT OF SPAIN, Nov 17 (IPS) - The newspapers in Trinidad and Tobago Thursday, defied the law and published the name of a person accused under the Sexual Offences Act of 1986.

The three morning newspapers here carried front page banner headlines saying opposition leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Basdeo Panday had been arrested and charged, but failed to mention the charges laid against him.

"Panday Arrested," Panday Charged" Panday Defiant" read the newspapers headlines.

Panday 62, and a lawyer, walked to the police station in his Central Trinidad constituency Wednesday and gave himself up to police officers who finger-printed and photographed him and placed him under arrest on three charges of attempted rape and two of criminal assault.

The threat of arrest had been hanging over Panday's head ever since three women employed in the office of the All Trinidad Sugar Estates and Factory Workers Trade Union for which he is President- General alleged publicly that Panday had sexually harassed them.

The women had also made the charges on the political platform of Hulsie Haggan, the opposition member of parliament, who broke with Panday and the UNC over what she said was the failure of the party leader and his colleagues to take a strong stand on legislation aimed at curbing drug abuse and violent crimes in the country.

The newspapers are reported to have named Panday because the issue has been before the public for several weeks with names being called openly.

The women have given newspaper interviews, had their photographs taken and made public statements naming Panday as their attacker.

The Sexual Offences Act prohibits publication in newspapers or broadcast over the electronic media "after a person is accused of an offence" of any "matter likely to lead members of the public to identify a person as the complainant or the accused in relation to that accusation."

The court may impose a fine of approximately five thousand dollars and five years imprisonment for publication or broadcast in breach of the act.

The name of an accused person may be published or broadcast after he has been tried and convicted.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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