Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said last evening that her Government is offering an additional $2.5 million to anyone who can help with information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of those involved in the murder of senior counsel Dana Seetahal.

This is in addition to the $1 million reward being offered by CrimeStoppers.

And should the investigation require foreign resources and expertise, that too would be provided by the State, Persad-Bissessar said.

Persad-Bissessar, who is also chairperson of the National Security Council (NSC), called an emergency meeting of the NSC at the San Fernando Teaching Hospital yesterday.

She convened the meeting in reaction to the shooting death of Seetahal on Sunday morning. Following the meeting, a media briefing was held at the San Fernando Teaching Hospital at 6.30 pm.

Earlier, Government ministers began arriving at the facility at 3.30 pm, among them Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Minister of National Security Gary Griffith, Trade and Communications Minister Vasant Bharath, Justice Minister Emmanuel George, Works and Infrastructure Minister Surujrattan Rambachan, Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal, Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine and Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar. Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, Chief  of Defence Staff Major General Kenrick Maharaj, and Bisnath Maharaj, director of the Strategic Security Agency (SSA) also attended the meeting.

Persad-Bissessar said a “big investigating team” was assigned to the Seetahal murder case.

“The Government agreed we will contribute to CrimeStoppers.           For information leading to arrest and prosecution $1 million has been offered. The Government will now offer a further incentive in terms of getting human evidence - $2.5 million with respect to arrest, prosecution and conviction. It is all very well to get the information and intelligence but what is important is to sustain what comes forward into conviction,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar said the NSC was briefed on the status of the investigations into Seetahal’s murder by Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams. She said Williams had accepted the offer for foreign expertise to be sourced if necessary.

Persad-Bissessar added, “It will not be prudent for us at this stage of the investigation to go into the operational aspects of the investigations because that would be foolhardy and reckless on our part. It is the right thing to do at this stage of the investigation.”

She said the NSC was also briefed on the technological aspects of the investigations including audio and video aspects. “We had placed great priorities on the replacement  of deficient CCTV cameras and through the legal operations of the SSA (Strategic Services Agency) there is audio evidence that will come forward,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar said the death of Seetahal was a direct attack on someone who has operated within the criminal justice system. “And therefore it goes far into the functioning of our country, nation and people,” she said.

Williams assured the public that everything possible would be done to ensure that the investigation was completed in the shortest possible time. He advised the media to refrain from using information not relevant to the case, including information that a panel van was involved in the killing.

Persad-Bissessar said that following an urgent meeting with Griffith, security would be provided to any member of the Judiciary seeking protection. She said several persons have already been provided with protection.

Asked why the high profile meeting was being held in San Fernando, Persad-Bissesar said the executive floor of the San Fernando Teaching Hospital was previously used for Cabinet meetings and the Government would continue to meet at the facility. 

Autopsy: Two shots to head, one to chest

Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal was hit five times—twice to the right side of her head, once to her chest, and twice to the right arm.

This was confirmed yesterday by pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes in a brief interview  with investigative journalist Mark Bassant. 

The injuries, the pathologist said, would have killed her almost immediately and were all caused by the same weapon. He however did not confirm if death was caused by 5.56 ammunition as previously reported in the media.

Fifteen spent shells were recovered along O’Connor Street, Woodbrook where Seetahal was murdered just after midnight on Sunday. 

The autopsy was performed on Sunday morning at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, mere moments after Seetahal’s body was removed from O’Connor Street and took about two hours to be completed. 

The funeral service for Dana Seetahal SC will be held on Thursday at the Aramalaya  Presbyterian Church, Tunapuna.

The cortege will proceed from the house of mourning at 24 Wilkinson Street, El Dorado Village, Tunapuna to the church on Cochrane Street, Tunapuna.

The funeral service will be held at 5 p.m after which Seetahal’s body will be taken to the Belgrove’s crematorium, Tacarigua.

A funeral wake was held last night at her family’s Tunapuna home and continues tonight and tomorrow with service at seven o’clock.

Seetahal was the daughter of Latchman Saroop  Seetahal and Sarjudeya Saroop Seetahal formerly Ramsubeik.

She had ten brothers and sisters — Hayman, Lenny, Kenrick, Omar, Raymond, Cynthia (Rosey), Elaine, Amelia, Marilyn (Seeta) and Susan.

She was the sister-in-law of Dr Randolph Teemul, Roodal Persad, Moonie Seetahal and Hazel Ann Seetahal. Aunt of  Rurik, Trevor, Antal, Dave, Shivanan, Sathyam, Shivam, Lendl, Philippe Roma, Janine, Melissa, Danielle and Leanna.

Condolences continued to flow yesterday on the heels of Seetahal’s brutal murder on Sunday morning which shocked the country.

Archbishop Joseph Harris said the Roman Catholic Church shares the shock and anger of the national community on Seetahal’s death.

“While we must wait for the officers of the law to determine the true motive for her killing, it is clear that we have crossed another threshold of crime when a criminal lawyer of her stature, both as prosecutor and defence attorney, is murdered,” he said.

Harris extended condolences to Seetahal’s family and called  upon the entire legal profession “to rededicate itself, in the blood of this valiant woman, to the rule of law and to justice for all as we continue to fight criminality and corruption at all levels, high and low.”

He said citizens must see this as a moment for recommitment to the service of country.

Law enforcement agencies, he said,  must not rest until the real perpetrators of this crime are brought to justice, both those who committed the act and the originators of the deed.

 “We cannot forget the many seemingly less renowned persons who have been murdered over the years. Yet we dare to hope that the solution of this particular crime at its origin may mark a real turning point in the battle against crime and in the genuine promotion of justice and peace at all levels of our society,” said Harris.

He said the terror which poorer communities have faced for several years now faces our judicial officers. “This cannot bode well for justice in our society. Let us not be numbed into deeper complacency as we battle against crime. May Dana Seetahal rest in peace. God help our nation,” said Harris.

The Embassy of the United States of America also expressed its condolences to Seetahal’s family, describing her as a champion for justice in Trinidad and Tobago.

“The Embassy of the United States of America in Port of Spain expresses its sincere condolences to the family members of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal who have lost a cherished member, to the legal fraternity who have lost a bright light in the struggle to ensure justice for all, and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago who have lost a champion,” stated its post on its Facebook page.

The US embassy stated that Seetahal was an alumnus of the US State Department’s Fulbright Programme. 

“She was our frequent partner in programmes to build the capacity of Trinidad and Tobago’s law enforcement and judicial sectors. And she was a friend,” stated the Embassy.

SENIOR police sources say the main man who fired the fatal shots that killed senior counsel Dana Seetahal on Sunday morning has been operating with impunity for more than four years. 

    No arrest has been made three days later.

Intelligence sources said the Carapo man (named called), who received the call to wipe out Seetahal was “not only well connected” but is also “feared in the underworld by many”.

He and two other men from Curepe with the initials NM and the other from Malabar called DB are being sought by police for questioning into the execution-style killing of Seetahal. 

NM, intelligence sources say, was tipped off by a police officer and has since gone underground.

Police sources say the Carapo man, like NM and DB, has ties with a Muslim-based organisation and was released from jail in 2011 after beating a murder rap. “He has been a major player in bringing in guns and ammunition into this country from Venezuela and one or two other countries,” said one source.

In 2007, he had escaped from Golden Grove prison and months later surrendered to the police.

Last August, sources inside the Customs and Excise Division said they had obtained information that the man had ordered nine millimetre ammunition and 10.62 ammunition through a relative in the US.

The package was sent to Piarco International Airport but no one ever came forward to collect it.

They say the package with the illegal ammunition is still lodged at the property keeper’s room at the airport.

Sources say they have since been piecing together a profile about this man who they are saying is “now running the show”, and has been fingered in a number of killings in the last few months, but yet he remains elusive.

He was last spotted in the Laventille area, but since then the trail has gone cold about his whereabouts in the last two days.

Well-placed intelligent sources said a file about the man’s activities as it relates to his gun-running was sent to the Ministry of National Security some time ago.

 Minister of National Security Gary Griffith would neither confirm nor deny the existence of this file. 

He said yesterday, “You know I cannot answer those questions. Any report that is confidential or secret, and any matter that is being investigated by the police, I would unfortunately not discuss with anyone.”

Well-placed senior police sources said the phone calls between the man in the Port of Spain jail and the shooter that took place over the last few weeks were intercepted and are now being examined carefully by the police.

The team of investigators headed by ACP Wayne Dick were locked in meetings yesterday afternoon to discuss the latest developments in the case.

ACP Dick said last night: “We do have some positive leads and we are pursuing it relentlessly and once we have no hiccups the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”