Ruling on pre-trial issues stalls commencement of trial for Bartica massacre accused

Oct 15, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

The start of a trial for the five men accused of killing 12 people, including three policemen, eight years ago at Bartica was adjourned pending a ruling on pre-trial issues.
Kaieteur News was informed that Justice Roxanne George and the defence and prosecution teams, held in-camera discussions on pre-trial legal and administrative matters yesterday, at the High Court in Georgetown.
These issues have to be cleared up before an indictment of 12 counts of murder is read to the accused. Justice George is expected to make a ruling on the matters on Tuesday, leading to the start of the trial which will begin with the empanelment of a jury.
Mark Royden, called Durant or Smallie; Clebert Reece, called Chi Chi or Fineman; Dennis Williams called Anaconda; Michael Caesar, called Deon Cort; and Roger Anthony Simon, called Goat Man are the accused. They were present in court.
The five men are jointly charged with killing nine civilians and three policemen.
The prosecution is led by State Counsel Diana Kowlessar in association with Attorneys Narissa Leander and Tuana Hardy. The defence attorneys are Peter Hugh, Maxwell McKay, Saphier Hussain, Madan Kissoon and Roger Yearwood.
The accused arrived at court under heightened security. They were all handcuffed and shackled as policemen stood guard in and around the courtroom.
On the night of February 17, 2008, around 21:40hrs, a large group of gunmen attacked Bartica, slaughtering a dozen people, including three police officers, during an hour-long attack. It was reported that the armed men attacked the police station before killing the three policemen and freeing prisoners.
They then left with the vehicle assigned to the police station and went on a rampage, terrorizing the community. According to reports, the gunmen arrived in the area by boat and departed in a similar fashion taking the firearms they grabbed from the police station and a mining company.

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