A FORMER Defence Force officer, who converted to Islam nearly two decades ago, is suing the Royal Bahamas Defence Force for allegedly breaching his freedom of religion.

Gregory Larrimore of Flamingo Gardens appeared before Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett with his lawyers, Wayne Munroe and Tonique Lewis, seeking to have his case heard as to how the then Commodore and others, breached his freedom of religious rights, claiming damages for their actions.

Before Mr Larrimore took the stand to testify under oath about what took place on April 25, 2007 when the alleged breach occurred, lawyers for the plaintiff and the Crown debated the issue.

The plaintiff, according to Mr Munroe, was a Petty Officer at the time of the alleged breach when his client was punished for not participating in a morning and evening parade of “Judeo-Christian” practices.

Mr Munroe said that his client, who was now a Muslim by religious faith, felt compelled to participate in the practices and the breach occurred there because he was covered by a memorandum.

"He stepped out of the parade and was ordered to return, when he refused, he was disciplined," the lead counsel explained.

He said subsequent to this, his client retired from the force.

Kayla Green-Smith, attorney for the Crown, said that the plaintiff was not required to recite the prayers during the parade, only to remain there as the parade was a formation exercise.

"He was given a lawful command to remain on the parade. The plaintiff dismissed himself, he remained in the area but left the formation," Mrs Smith said.

She added that Mr Larrimore left the force three years after the incident took place.

Chief Justice Sir Michael said he wanted to know what happened on the day in question. 

Mr Munroe submitted the witness’s statement of the plaintiff before Mr Larrimore himself took the stand to be cross-examined by Mrs Smith.

The Crown’s counsel asked the plaintiff when he left the force. "My release  from the force was on October 1, 2007," he replied.

"What do you mean when you say ‘release’," Mrs Smith wanted to know.

He said it was on the day that he received an official document concerning his release from his duties on the force after serving some 25 years and "some months."

"So you had reached the retirement age?" the attorney asked.

"I would have," he said.

After looking at an attestation form he had signed in 1982 when he first joined the Force, having confirmed this by his signature, the attorney shifted her cross-examination to Mr Larrimore’s statement claiming to have been threatened with a cutlass by the fifth defendant.

Mr Larrimore said this superior officer called him into his office for a meeting where he pulled out a cutlass and placed it on the desk. He viewed this as a threat.

However, Mrs Smith said: "I'm putting it to you that the fifth defendant never had a cutlass and never threatened you."

Mr Larrimore disagreed. He said he'd noted the incident in a report.

"When you walked off the parade, where did you go?" the attorney asked.

"I went to Tupper's Lane," he answered, some 250 feet away from the parade.

Mrs Smith asked him if he was able to hear the prayers of the parade from that distance. “No,” he replied.

She also asked Mr Larrimore if his former job instructed him to attend national services.

He said he did attend, but for marching purposes.

The attorney dismissed Mr Larrimore's claim that he was given special permission and extension to attend Friday prayer meetings at the Carmichael Road Mosque between noon and 2.30pm.

In re-examination, Mr Munroe asked his client how many times he had been promoted during his tenure on the force. Three times, he said, adding that his last promotion was in April 2007 when he went from "leading mechanic to petty rank officer."

Mr Larrimore was asked if he ever went inside to church services during the national events. "No, sir," he replied.

"When at the Mosque, does it amplify your prayers?" Mr Munroe asked.

"No, sir. The call to prayer is made over the intercom, but not our prayers," the plaintiff answered.

When Mr Munroe completed the re-examination, the Chief Justice asked the plaintiff if the prayer during the morning parades on the force were always Christian prayers.

"In my view, yes sir," he said, adding that most of the time as he could recall, when the chaplain prayed, the ending would be “through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Chief Justice will make a ruling in the matter at a date to be announced.