‘Que Pasa’ argues that he should not wear orange prison suit; Judge agrees

High Court judge Wesley James has ordered that money laundering convict, Antonio “Que Pasa” Gellizeau, be made to wear civilian clothing at all times, rather than the orange prison suit he has been wearing to court for the past two weeks.{{more}}

On Friday, March 1, while appearing at the High Court for sentencing, Gellizeau told the judge that he doesn’t think he should be wearing the orange suit provided by the prisons.

“My Lord, I come for you to see me in this, because the prison laws said that I wasn’t suppose to be in it and they have me in it,” Gellizeau explained.

In responding to Gellizeau’s claim, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Colin John told the court that on the last occasion when Gellizeau was present in court, he was informed by a police officer that a female brought clothing for Gellizeau, but he refused to change into them.

Gellizeau’s attorney, Shiraz Aziz, said although his client is convicted, he is yet to be sentenced for the substantive offence.

He said his understanding of the rules is that Gellizeau should be wearing “plain clothes” at all times.

“He is not to be kept at prisons in bright orange. That raises a further question because one has to identify under whose authority or jurisdiction he is kept. Is he being kept by the prisons or the police? What we need to know is why Mr Gellizeau comes to court in orange when by right, he should be in civilian clothing,” Aziz argued.

Aziz said that rules are there to be followed and noted if there is going to be a departure from those rules, there must be a valid and rational reasoning behind it for what is being done.

The UK based attorney added that he has even asked about the situation and no one has been able to tell him under whose authority Gellizeau is being held.

Gellizeau is currently remanded at Belle Isle Prison.

John, in his response, said he spoke to the superintendent of prisons and was informed that remand prisoners are allowed to stay in their civilian clothing. John, however, noted that the superintendent has the discretion in the interest of security, to put a prisoner in prison uniform.

Aziz said he approached the head of the prisons and was told that Gellizeau is under the authority of the police rather than the prison.

Gellizeau was convicted on March 9, 2012, in the largest money laundering case in the OECS. He was found guilty at the Serious Offences Court for concealing on the yacht “Jotobin” on April 5, 2008, at Calliaqua, US$1,733,463 (EC$4,628,346), which in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represents proceeds of criminal conduct. He was also convicted of bringing the money into St Vincent and the Grenadines on the yacht.

Gellizeau was charged along with Bermudian Winston Robinson, 70, who was also found guilty. Kent Andrews, a third man who was jointly charged in the matter, was found not guilty on all charges.