RETIRED Snr Supt of Police Mervyn Ghatt, the veteran investigator who helped bring notorious crime figure Dole Chadee to justice, has died.
Ghatt passed away on March 29 at the age of 88.
News of his death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from former colleagues and members of the law enforcement community, many of whom remembered him as a disciplined and determined officer who played a pivotal role in some of the country’s most high-profile criminal investigations.
During his career with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), Ghatt earned a reputation as a meticulous investigator, rising through the ranks to become a senior superintendent. He was involved in several major homicide probes and later gave evidence in court in multiple matters, including murder trials in the 1990s and early 2000s.
However, he is best remembered for his role in the investigation that led to the arrest and prosecution of Chadee and members of his gang.
Chadee, whose real name was Nankissoon Boodram, was convicted along with eight associates for the brutal 1994 murders of a family in Piparo. The case was regarded as one of the most significant criminal prosecutions in local history.
Following their convictions, Chadee and his co-accused were executed in June 1999 over a series of hangings carried out at the Port-of-Spain prison, marking one of the last instances of capital punishment being enforced in this country.
Ghatt’s work in the case formed part of the evidential foundation that secured the convictions, and he later testified during the proceedings, helping prosecutors establish the chain of events surrounding the killings.
Nancie Antes
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