Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

DPP charges man a second time for same matter

Jan 22, 2009 News

PI was finished and accused committed ….

 

Attorney-at-Law Vic Puran is peeved at the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions after the DPP reinstituted charges against his client, Kish Balkaram.

According to the lawyer, his client Kish Balkaram was charged some three and a half years ago for attempting to commit murder and felonious wounding, and was tried and committed to stand trial in the High Court for the matters.

Yesterday, at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts, before acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson, as the charge was being read to the defendant, attorney Vic Puran objected to the charge being read for the second time.

The lawyer contended that his client cannot be tried for a second time after his case was already thrown over to the High Court.

The lawyer contended in open court that this is “gross incompetence” by the DPP Chambers. He explained that the defendant cannot be “tried for the same crime” twice.

Puran said that although the Director of Public Prosecutions “has the right to institute new charges on the defendant, they cannot make a mistake then seek to retry someone for the same crime.”

He said that the prosecution had made an error from the inception when they decided to try both matters at one preliminary hearing.

He said that after the prosecution realised that they had erred, they immediately sought to have the matter retried.

He further told the court that the court must concern itself with whether its time is been spent doing “lawful” things, and not things that would in turn waste both the defendant’s and the court’s time.

Puran posited that both his client’s time and money are going to waste if the state persists with the case.

He said that the DPP is abusing its process, and added that the prosecution is obligated to conduct itself in a competent manner.

He relentlessly reiterated the fact “that the prosecution cannot perform incompetently then seek to remedy its defects by repeating the proceedings”.

However, according to police prosecutor Denise Griffith, the accused was wanted in connection with another murder. She therefore asked that the file be sent back to the DPP for further advice.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day Horse race meet

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day...

Dec 25, 2024

Over 70 entries in as $7M in prizes at stake  By Samuel Whyte Kaieteur Sports- The time has come and the wait is over and its gallop time as the biggest event for the year-end season is set for the...
Read More
Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards Gymnastics history for Guyana

Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards...

Dec 25, 2024

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel & Gold Is Money into quarter-finals

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel &...

Dec 25, 2024

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as India take series

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as...

Dec 25, 2024

Moraikobai village two days football competition and fun day set for Old and New Year’s Day

Moraikobai village two days football competition...

Dec 25, 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support in 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support...

Dec 25, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]