A Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) supervisor has filed a lawsuit against the State, claiming damages for his arrest and prosecution in 2021.
Michael Craig, 54, alleges he was wrongfully arrested, falsely imprisoned, and subjected to malicious prosecution on July 7, 2021, according to documents filed by his attorneys, Lemuel Murphy and Roshan Tota-Maharaj.
Craig claims he was walking on Luckpat Street, St. James, when he approached police officers investigating a parked vehicle. Despite his denials that he was involved, Craig says he was detained and later accused of possessing a stolen vehicle.
He was held at Central Police Station for days before being charged, a move he contends was made without reasonable cause.
The case against him collapsed in October 2022, when the prosecution failed to present evidence or witnesses at trial.
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The lawsuit, assigned to Justice Christopher Sieuchand, seeks damages for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, as well as compensation for legal fees, reputational harm and emotional distress.
Craig complained of the impact of the ordeal on his mental health and professional standing at WASA, where he has worked for 23 years.
“No evidence was ever provided to substantiate the arrest, detention and charge of the claimant for being in possession of a stolen vehicle. No evidence was ever provided to substantiate the continued prosecution of the claimant from charge to dismissal at the magistrates court.
“No disclosure was ever given to defence counsel from charge to dismissal to substantiate the offence at hand. The police and prosecution did not have any evidence to charge the claimant with the said offence.
“The claimant had to endure a prosecution against him upon which no evidence was ever disclosed to defence counsel and/or tendered into evidence at the court.
“As such, the claimant suffered a baseless prosecution against him from the date of charge to dismissal,” the lawsuit contends.
The State has yet to formally respond to the claims. No trial date has been set.
