Businessman Seeks Removal of False Information from Police Database Affecting US Green Card Application

Michael St John, a businessman from Trinidad and Tobago, has sent a pre-action protocol letter to the country's Police Commissioner, Erla Harewood-Christopher, requesting the correction and deletion of "false, misleading and erroneous information" about him contained in a police database. The inaccurate data has allegedly impacted St John's application for a U.S. Green Card and damaged his reputation, despite him having a clean criminal record confirmed by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

The issue first came to light in 2017 when St John applied for a Green Card and was informed that there was something in his local records impacting his application, although the specific details were not disclosed to him at the time. After years of investigating the matter, St John was finally shown a screenshot dated March 13, 2017, revealing the troublesome entry in the police database.

St John's lawyers, including former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and attorney Om Lalla, have called for the police to investigate and remove the false information, arguing that it could negatively impact his business interests and applications for licenses, permits, insurance, and loans. They maintain that the police are responsible for the information contained in the database, even if it was not created by them, and are obligated to correct it under the Freedom of Information Act.

Why this matters: This case raises serious concerns about the integrity and security of national security databases and the potential harm inaccurate information can cause to individuals. It emphasizes the need for robust measures to ensure the accuracy and proper management of sensitive data held by law enforcement agencies.

The police have denied responsibility for the erroneous information, stating that St John has a clean record and the details in the screenshots are not related to him. However, St John's legal team is demanding an investigation into the police's Versadex system, which is used to record and store criminal records that can be accessed by other entities. "The case raises concerns about the integrity and security of the national security database system and the potential harm it can cause to individuals," St John's lawyers stated in the pre-action protocol letter. They are seeking the prompt correction of the false information to prevent further damage to St John's reputation and interests.

Key Takeaways

• Businessman seeks correction of false info in police database impacting his U.S. Green Card
• Inaccurate data allegedly damaged his reputation despite clean criminal record
• Lawyers demand police investigate and remove false info from Versadex system
• Case raises concerns about integrity and security of national security databases
• Police deny responsibility, but businessman's lawyers seek prompt correction