Lawyer says client was treated unfairly

Queen’s Counsel Michael Lashley has accused the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) of conspiring to bring down Private Raheem Reeves.

He made the allegation during his five-hour closing argument at Reeves’ court martial today at the BDF’s St Ann’s Fort headquarters, where he claimed his client had been unfairly treated and targeted.

Reeves has been charged with leaving his duty station at St Ann’s Fort on March 14, 2021 without reasonable excuse while he was part of a COVID-19 Sanitization Unit.

In his address to Judge Advocate Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney and the panel comprising president Lieutenant Commander John Mapp, Captain Natalie Haynes and Sub-Lieutenant Jamal Wiggins, Lashley described Reeves as a “frontline worker” whose job of sanitizing buildings and vehicles that transported positive COVID-19 persons was so dangerous that many Barbadians would scoff at doing it, “even if they were paid a million dollars”.

But the QC said even though Reeves was putting his life at risk in service to his country, he now stood the risk of having his name sullied forever.

“He stuck manfully to the task of carrying out national duty and now his reputation and character are about to be placed in the hands of the panel, that if negative will sully his reputation for life,” Lashley said.

“There is a possibility he may be seen as an outcast…but for a decision he made which we believe he has a reasonable excuse for.”

Lashley said even though Reeves made numerous attempts to inform his superiors that he was not comfortable eating food from the BDF, no provisions were made for him.

“It cannot be disputed that Reeves told authorities he had an issue…but no one in the BDF engaged him in discussions or sought to act on it. It seems as if Reeves is being targeted and unfairly treated,” the QC contended.

“…He was targeted and overly scrutinized. There was a conspiracy to get at this man.”

Lashley further claimed the BDF had failed to act, failed to perform and failed to look out for one of its employees.

However, in his much shorter 40-minute closing address, prosecutor Captain Neville Corbin told the panel that for Reeves to complain about being assigned to the Sanitization Unit and its dangers was an insult to members of the BDF and Coast Guard who protect the island’s borders, who venture out to rescue persons from storms and hurricanes and transport COVID-19 patients.

He said soldiers served their country without fear of any enemy seen or unseen.

Captain Corbin said for a soldier to leave his operation without permission was a serious breach of the Defense Act.

“A soldier must be disciplined. Discipline is non-negotiable…This is not only about Reeves’ guilt. Good order and military discipline is [sic] at stake,” he maintained.

He explained that service in the army was not the same as service in the public service.

Captain Corbin argued that having served in the BDF for almost six years Reeves should have known better and should never have left the BDF’s base without permission from a superior.

Earlier in the morning, the defense called its final witness, former soldier Douglas Mayers.

Mayers testified that he left the BDF in 2020 after 12 years’ of service.

He said he worked alongside Reeves in the Sanitization Unit and was present on the day in question.

He testified that he too felt uneasy about eating the BDF’s food after he was told by a superior officer his life was under threat at the BDF.

Mayers said both himself and Reeves had made several requests about their uneasiness with eating the BDF’s food.

However, he said they were never acted upon.

He said on the day in question he signed them both out of the BDF’s log book before their shift had ended.

Under cross examination by Captain Corbin, Mayers admitted that he did not have a leave pass and that he had signed out because he felt he was being treated unjustly.

He said he also was not granted permission to leave the BDF base before his 24-hour shift had ended.

When questioned by members of the panel, Mayers also admitted he was not supposed to sign out another soldier and that it was not normal procedure.

The court martial continues on Wednesday. (RB)