The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

AN Immigration officer was remanded to prison yesterday and not placed in “quarter guard” custody as his lawyer hoped following his arraignment on a rape charge.

Norman Bastian, 53, stood before Magistrate Andrew Forbes facing the charge nearly two months after an investigation was launched into an alleged sexual assault against a female immigrant following a report in The Gleaner of Jamaica.

The alleged assault is supposed to have occurred when the 28-year-old woman was released into the custody of an immigration officer on December 15.

It was reported that the officer later took her to his home where it is claimed that she was forced to have sex with him.

Bastian was informed that he would not be required to enter a plea to the charge at this time.

Magistrate Forbes told him that the Crown would likely bypass a preliminary inquiry into the matter and fast-track the matter to Supreme Court for trial.

A date for that procedure to take place will be determined in a fixture hearing before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt at noon on February 23.

Roberto Reckley, Bastian’s lawyer, asked the magistrate if he would consider remanding his client into quarter guard custody.

Magistrate Forbes told the lawyer that he did not have the jurisdiction and would have to remand the accused to the Department of Correctional Services, formerly HM Prison.

However, the magistrate said he would make a note that Bastian be provided security protocol while in custody at the prison.