Former Region Four Chairman and National Border Patrol Director Daniel Seeram will remain in custody until his sentencing next month after the High Court today rejected his bid to overturn a Magistrate’s decision to remand him following his conviction for assaulting his former wife.
Justice Joy Persaud-Singh dismissed an application by Seeram’s attorney, Nigel Hughes, challenging Magistrate Abigail Gibbs’ decision to remand him to prison after finding him guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm.
The conviction was handed down on October 2, 2026, at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, bringing to an end a criminal case that had been before the court for almost three years. Magistrate Gibbs found that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and rejected Seeram’s claim that he had acted in self-defence.
The charge arose from an incident on September 11, 2023, at a Cummings Lodge apartment the couple shared at the time. Seeram’s former wife, Farzana Hamid, reported that she was physically assaulted during an early-morning confrontation.
According to evidence reported from the trial, Hamid sustained injuries to her left thigh, upper arm, breast, wrist and eye. The court also heard that her mobile phone was damaged during the incident and that the apartment was damaged. Seeram denied assaulting her and maintained that he had merely pushed her while leaving the apartment.
Magistrate Gibbs, however, found inconsistencies in Seeram’s account and concluded that his explanation for Hamid’s injuries was inconsistent with the evidence. She also found that the injuries could not have resulted from a single push and that Hamid was a credible witness.
The case has highlighted the serious consequences of domestic violence, particularly where allegations involve physical injury and a relationship marked by a significant personal and social history.
Seeram had initially pleaded not guilty and was granted $50,000 bail while the trial proceeded. Following his conviction, Hughes asked Magistrate Gibbs to reconsider the decision to remand his client, pointing to Seeram’s current responsibilities as National Coordinator of the Border Patrol Protection Unit and his attendance at every court hearing.
The Magistrate was not persuaded and ordered that he remain in custody pending sentencing.
Hughes subsequently took the matter to the High Court, arguing that Seeram should be granted bail pending sentencing. Justice Persaud-Singh, however, ruled today that the application did not meet the requirements for judicial review and upheld the Magistrate’s decision.
Seeram is scheduled to return to the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on November 2, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. for sentencing.
At the time of the 2023 incident, Seeram was Chairman of Region Four and an executive member of the People’s National Congress Reform. He subsequently switched political allegiance to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and was later appointed to head the National Border Patrol Unit.
The High Court ruling means he will remain in custody as the court prepares to determine the sentence arising from his conviction.
