Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 12, 2015 News
Nine months and 40 witnesses later, the Prosecution charged with providing enough evidence for the High Court trial against the five men named for the murder of Enmore businessman Rajendra Singh, is inching closer to closing the State’s case.
Last year, on April 5, Singh was kidnapped from his Foulis, East Coast Demerara business place and four days later, he was found dead in Le Repentir Cemetery. Cops subsequently launched a manhunt for those responsible for the businessman’s killing and five men were later hauled before the courts charged with his murder.
Now, Magistrate Ann McLennan will decide whether there is enough evidence for Adony James, 31, of Roxanne Burnham Gardens; Sheldon Chase, 34, a miner, of Pike Street, Kitty; Doodnauth Ketwaroo called “Pumpkin”, 27, of Good Hope, ECD; Tony Thomas, 27, of Bel Air, and Michael Lewis called “Jet Li”, 37, of Sheriff Street to stand trial in the High Court.
The five men are accused of murdering Singh sometime between April 5, when he was kidnapped, and April 9, when his body was found. At this stage, they have not been required to enter pleas since the offence is indictable.
The men were remanded to prison by the said Magistrate ever since their first appearance on April 17, last. The public hearing, which started seven months ago, is designed to test the strength of the prosecution’s case.
Sergeant Neville Jeffers, a Prosecutor attached to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), is presenting the State’s case against the five accused. Forty witnesses have testified since the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) began in June last, including police officers, a forensic scientist and medical experts.
Five more witnesses are slated to testify in the PI this week.
Four high profile Attorneys are representing the accused.
Attorney-at-Law Peter Hugh is representing Ketwaroo and James; Attorney-at-Law James Bond is Thomas’ lawyer and Nigel Hughes is Lewis’ lawyer. Attorney-at-Law Adrian Thompson is representing Chase.
On Friday last, as the case continued before Magistrate McLennan, Sergeant Jeffers called Forensic Technologist Tameka Henry, Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Julius Wright, Sergeant Bailey from the Enmore Police Outpost and Detective Constable Paddy, to testify.
Five more witnesses are slated to testify in the matter before Jeffers closes the State’s case this week. The case will be called again on Wednesday (January 21).
On April 5 last, Singh, his wife Heema and two employees were about to close his business to go home when two men, pretending to be purchasers of auto spares, approached them.
They then held their victims at gunpoint, before bundling the businessman into the trunk of his Toyota Ist and driving away. The vehicle was found abandoned at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
Hours later a caller claiming to be one of the kidnappers had instructed the businessman’s relatives to hand over $50M on April 5 to secure his safe release.
They subsequently reduced their demand to $25M.
Singh was later found dead.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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