Family’s search for missing man continues as court dismisses application

Family’s search for missing man continues as court dismisses application

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – It appears as if the family’s efforts to locate Marvin Pratt, a man reported missing since December 6, 2018, remain futile as Justice Andrew Forbes on Thursday dismissed the Habeas Corpus application that was filed in the supreme court by the attorney representing Pratt’s family.

The family was represented by Crispin Hall and the Royal Bahamas Police Force was represented by attorney Ryan Sands.

A Return filed on March 27 by Jamahl Ferguson, the head of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), revealed that Pratt is not and was never in custody at DEU following his alleged arrest and disappearance on December 6, 2018.

At the last court hearing two weeks ago, Sands had presented a Return stating that members of the police force did not have Pratt in custody. The writ, however, was limited to the Central Detective Unit and Justice Forbes requested an answer from the DEU as it relates to Pratt, which came yesterday.

The whereabouts of Pratt have been a blur since December 6, 2018.

It was alleged that undercover DEU officers pulled up to Pratt’s residence in Gambier in a blue jeep and took him into custody.

After being alerted of his alleged arrest, Pratt’s mother, Barbara Saunders went to the Central Detective Unit to post his bail, but according to Saunders, she was told that he was not in custody.

According to the Pratt family, an eyewitness reported seeing him in custody at CDU, therefore Saunders said that she still stands by this claim coupled with the claim of her neighbour who said she also witnessed Pratt’s alleged arrest.

Attorney Crispin Hall who represents the Pratt family told Justice Forbes that he rejects the Return filed by the DEU on the basis that evidence suggests otherwise.  Hall referred to the statements given by Rose Francis, Pratt’s neighbour, who claimed that she was an eyewitness to the alleged abduction as well as an anonymous witness who claimed that Pratt was seen while in custody.

Justice Forbes, in response, told Hall that the court had already done its part and to go further into the matter would take him beyond his jurisdiction. He added that if there is more evidence that proves the fallacy of the Returns filed by the police force, then it poses an issue for the Crown.

Meanwhile, Pratt’s mother, Barbara Saunders said she still believes that the police have her son and she has no interest in staying away from that belief.

“You’ll ain’t gone get away with this. This ain’t going underneath the ground. I was there and the gentleman say he was there and when he came back it was a different conversation,” Saunders claimed. They say it was the DEU and everybody knows the DEU, the DEU always in Gambier.”

Although preferring to keep the details of their next step under wraps, Attorney Hall told Eyewitness News that he and his clients are moving towards getting an investigation into the matter.

The family’s attorney said he will not stop until they get some answers.

About Ginelle Longley

Ginelle Longley is a broadcast reporter and occasional TV news anchor with Eyewitness News, also serving as the station’s evening radio news anchor for 103.5 The Beat. She has reported on news beats including government, politics, crime, human interest, business and even sports. In 2018, she was nominated for the Bahamas Press Club’s “Student Media Journalism Award”.