UPDATE: Police Sgt charged for perjury granted $40K bail
The Greenland resident and Dominican native who is also part of the Premier’s Security Detail was charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice and appeared before Magistrate Khadeen Palmer on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Virgin Islands News Online had broken the story about the arrest of Mr Sebastien on March 3, 2022.
The criminal matters are indictable and therefore it was only read for his information in court yesterday. The matters will be heard at the Supreme Court.
Allegations
The allegations, according to Crown Counsel Lyn Dailey, are that on February 22, 2022, Mr Sebastein, the accused, attended the High Court to give evidence in the retrial of the interdicted policemen.
During the 2019 trial, the accused gave evidence under oath and was again subpoenaed to give evidence on February 22, 2022, where he allegedly gave evidence contrary to his initial evidence in 2019.
He made a statement in which he described the activities and actions of one of the accused officers in detail contrary to statements he made in 2019 where he omitted the said officer from his description from the relevant events.
Reluctant to give evidence
The Crown Counsel said when he was subpoenaed, he stated that he was reluctant to give evidence in the matter.
However, the defence counsel wanted the accused to testify and he was subsequently called to give evidence.
On February 22, 2022, prior to going on the stand, he told one of the Crown Counsels that he did not feel comfortable with the statement that he gave and claimed that he told this to the Prosecutor.
He then stated that he was not going to give evidence according to the statement.
The court heard that the transcript from the first time he gave evidence showed that he was sworn in and during cross-examination, he stated that the statement that he gave was accurate.
Following his evidence, he was reported to the Commissioner of Police and an investigation was launched.
On March 1, 2022, the accused was arrested and cautioned and he gave a no comment interview and was later charged with the offences.
He has since been suspended from active duty.
Attorneys Richard G. Rowe and Allyeh George represented him.
Bail
The Crown did not object to bail and Sebastien was offered bail in the sum of $40,000 with one surety.
Among his bail conditions, he is to surrender his travel documents and not to interfere with the investigation or witnesses.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to May 12, 2022, for report.
See previous article published March 3, 2022
Police Sgt Marley Sebastien arrested & charged for alleged perjury!
- Sebastien is accused of giving false information in an ongoing police High Court case
Word reaching our news centre is that police sergeant in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) Marley Sebastien was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, March 1, 2022.
The police have charged Mr Sebastien with perjury for allegedly giving false information in an ongoing High Court police matter.
Mr Sebastien has retained Attorney Richard G. Rowe of Silk Legal. Mr Rowe, speaking exclusively with Virgin Islands News Online, confirmed the arrest and charges.
However, Mr Rowe is concerned about the lack of justice as it has been almost 48 hours and there has not been a court appearance as his client is still in police custody. Attorney Rowe said he has full confidence that his client is innocent and will be vindicated.
Mr Sebastien is the head of the Premier’s security detail.
The RVIPF and UK Nationals
Many critics have alleged that the new police commissioner, Mark Collins QPM, is doing a purge of the RVIPF in an attempt to replace the “so-called corrupt officers” with nationals of the UK.
The RVIPF is under the jurisdiction of the Governor, a UK national, and the police commissioner is also a UK national. Both have not been held accountable for the state of the police force, but the blame is most often placed on the Government of the Day for high crime and low morale in the RVIPF.
However, supporters of the Commissioner have said he has done a lot in his short time here, including to clean up the police force and restore confidence by the public.
We need a local as CoP
After years of UK Police Commissioners and many UK nationals in the police force being paid high salaries with specialties that they claim the locals don’t have, crime is still high.
Additionally, there remains a large number of unsolved murders, morale is low, the force is divided, and the public has no trust or confidence in the police establishment in the Territory, while taxpayers pour in millions of dollars yearly.
There are also strong calls for a local to take over the RVIPF.
.png)
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
52 Responses to “UPDATE: Police Sgt charged for perjury granted $40K bail”
Why is he being charged DURING an ongoing matter? They want a way out of the other case but want to pin it on the Sergeant to avoid having to pay back the government for wasted time and money on a case that was mainly based on hearsay, he say she say.
That to me is plot by themselves to overthrow their own case and blame somebody else.
SO are the other police witnesses charged too or no?
Won't this taint the jury pool?
In fact the whole case?
What is the delay in bringing him to court?
Lovely man who helped many after Irma, when we were in a state of emergency.
Locals can’t take direction for any other race, for whatever reason.
We need a big spring clean, as in many government departments.
Let’s learn from whoever can teach and the Uk cops are a blessing.
The race card is the only one you have to pull and it’s getting really old.
This is how the world outside the BVI operates and it’s this attitude that is holding this country back.
TWO WEEKS AGO I MADE A COMPLAINT TO THE POLICE THAT ONE OF THEIR OFFICER COMING ON MY PROPERTY AND REMOVE ITEMS FROM MY PROPERTY SO THAT HE COULD GET IN TO HIS APARTMENT I TALK TO HIM AND HE IS STILL DOING IT. UP TO YESTERDAY I CALL BACK TO TO SEE IF THEY TALK TO THE OFFICER THEY SAY THEY GET THE TIME..HOW CAN I HELP THEM WITH INFORMATION IF I HAVE ANY. AM I TO BLAME BECAUSE THE LANDLORD BUILD IN THE GOVERNMENT ROAD. I NEED HELPPPPPP
the cop and odpp tag up,because is governor appointing evrybody,and is governor to dismiss everybody,so if you carry out governor plan you good with the cop.
look the cop was interfering with the police commission telling the police commission what to do and not to do and now the chair lady resign because the cop go telling lies to commission.
cop vdpp and dpp vs cop.it is fight for control over the police force,because officers want a black commissioner but uk say they want white commissioner to watch for the governor.hmmmmmm
90% of the police force are not from here so what cloud you on?
48hrs and can’t go before a court wow
After knowing the facts of this case and seeing all the negative blogs against the Police officer, it is clear to see how much these people hate Police and foreigners.
The person that is to be blame in this whole thing is the D*****O***P* who is playing a very very dirty and nasty game.
In all my 60yrs and following court matters for over 35 years now i have never ever heard the Office of the DPP sent out a News release. She knows what she is trying and what she is up to.
Also you want to tell me that he could not be given Police bail.
This conduct is unethical and has no integrity. Shame.
Oh my God this is embarrassing for the legal profession.
Do NOT take my word for it here is the link to the statement the office of the DPP release:
https://bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/statement-office-director-public-prosecutions-march-3
The two men before the court are being tried for conspiracy to steal which is one charge and NOT theft as stated by the DPP and was never before the court for theft not in 2019 and not in 2022 so why is the office of the DPP who would and should know better then release into the public domain a publication from her office with bearing its official seal and her signature which states false information.
In the above link the two men (whether you like them or not hate them to the core believe they did it or not ) are before the court for THEFT and Conspiracy to steal that’s what the link says but my spidy senses tingled and I did some digging and made a few xL telephone calls with my contacts within the court system and low and behold it (spidy senses) was right. It was confirmed to me by my sources that Neither in 2019 trial or currently during this 2022 trial were the two men ever before the court for THEFT. They are there on one count Conspiracy. It’s just a pity that the sitting jurors will now see all of this on the blogs and who knows how it could influence them or their decisions and what will be the outcome.