Alleyne faces 4 charges; sent to Mt Hope hospital after complaining of chest pains

Ian Alleyne being transported by ambulance on Friday from POS General Hospital to the Mt. Hope Hospital.
(Photo by Kejan Haynes)

Police have laid four charges against Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne. Three of the charges are in connection with a breach of the Sexual Offences Act and the fourth is for resisting arrest. TV6 has also been charged with three offences under the act for airing video of a minor being raped.

Alleyne's lawyer, Om Lalla, who hosted the Crime Watch show in Alleyne's absence, announced on the show that his client will face the four charges.

Police say they will execute the warrants on Alleyne when he is discharged from hospital. It is expected he will appear before a magistrate on Monday.

Alleyne, who was arrested Thursday night at TV6 in Port of Spain, is in hospital under police watch. He became ill shortly after police arrested him and was sent to the Port of Spain General Hospital.

On Friday he was transferred by ambulance to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for further tests.

Lalla told local media Alleyne complained about chest pains. "He is under police guard in the capacity of a prisoner while being examined and we await the final medical results as to when he will be discharged from being detained as hospital.”

He added that police made the arrest just days before expiry of a six-month statutory limit for charges to be laid in connection with the airing of a controversial video tape.

"As you know, he has a Constitutional right to say nothing. He does not even have to cooperate in an interview that is his legal Constitutional right," Lalla said.