Defence, prosecution square off in narco Detective murder PI

Mar 05, 2013 News

…as defence forced to copy statement by hand

As the preliminary inquiry into the murder of detective Jirahan Diananand continued before Magistrate Krisendat Persaud at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court, there were a number of challenges and counter challenges.
On charge for murder is alleged narcotics dealer Salim “Black Salim” Bacchus, 52, of 39 Line Path ‘D’, Skeldon, Corriverton, Corentyne Berbice for whom a wanted bulletin was issued.  Bacchus is alleged to have shot dead Detective Constable, Diananand, on September 14 last at Jackson Creek, Corentyne Berbice.
The defence which was being conducted by attorney at law Ramesh Rajkumar, has since been strengthened with the addition of attorney at law Mursalene Bacchus.
Superintendent Robert Tyndall who was specially appointed to prosecute the matter had objected to demands made by the defence to have certain statements turned over to them.
The defence was demanding a copy of the statement of prosecution witness Azam Bacchus, a nephew of the accused who had admitted under cross examination that he had refreshed his memory from the statement before he entered the witness box.
When the defence asked for the statement the prosecution objected forcing both sides into legal arguments.
In the end prosecutor Tyndall informed the court that he had to seek the advice of the DPP. On Friday he told the court that he was instructed that he does not have to hand over a copy of the statement to the defence but he could oblige by showing them and they could make a written copy.  Further legal arguments ensued with the defence threatening to take the matter to the High Court.
In the end Defence Attorney Mursalene Bacchus decided that to save time, instead of applying to the High Court for a solution that he would make a written copy of the statement.
The murdered policeman was found slumped in his car, parked on a desolate stretch of road at Jackson Creek, Upper Corentyne with two bullet wounds to his head.
So far the main prosecution witness Azim Seegobin who is another nephew of Salim gave his evidence in chief. At the conclusion of his evidence he was intensely grilled during cross examination by defence counsel Ramesh Rajkumar. The cross examination went on for a number of days.
The case for the prosecution is that some time between September 13 and September 14, last year at Jackson Creek Bacchus murdered detective constable Jirahan Diananand.
The story came to light when three men were arrested following a carjacking incident at the same Jackson Creek area. Two of the men, who turned out to be Salim’s nephews, were arrested on West Coast Berbice. They admitted after intense grilling by investigators to knowing about the killing of the police constable and they implicated Bacchus as the gunman.
They allegedly told investigators that Bacchus shot Diananand twice in the head after a pre arranged deal went sour.