Top prosecutor in Trinidad murder trial gunned down

World Bulletin/News Desk

A prominent Trinidadian prosecutor in the midst of a high-profile kidnap and murder trial involving 12 men, was gunned down in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Dana Seetahal was ambushed by assailants in two vehicles while driving in Port of Spain after leaving a casino, police said.

A vehicle blocked the path of Seetahal's vehicle while a van pulled alongside her car and the occupants opened fire.

Seetahal was a state prosecutor in the case of a supermarket executive Vindra Naipaul-Coolman who was kidnapped from her home in December 2006 and later killed. A dozen men have been charged with her murder and face a possible death sentence if convicted.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said his office had lost a key figure as Seetahal was involved in a number of legislative measures to help with the fight against crime and improving the administration of justice.

"Her death will leave a void in society and the legal profession," Ramlogan said in a statement.

Seetahal was also a columnist with the Trinidad & Tobago Express newspaper and a former independent senator.