High court trial for accused in Robb Street fiery murders

Feb 01, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

The two men who are accused of killing two sisters and their father in a fire at their Robb Street, Georgetown home, will go on trial in the High Court.
Ganga Krishna, 72, a businessman of Lot 11 North Road, Bourda, Georgetown; and his employee, Avishkar Kissoon, 24, of Lot 1 Sheriff Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, had their preliminary inquiry (PI) into the offence completed yesterday.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan who presided over the PI which was done by paper committal ruled that a prima facie case was made out against the two accused for the offence charged.
It was an emotional testimony by Clarissa Rosario, the mother of the dead children which prompted the Chief Magistrate to have the PI done this way.
Theresa Rozario, 15 and her 12-year-old sister, Feresa Rozario, were burnt to death after an early morning fire destroyed a Robb Street, Georgetown building they occupied with their father.
The fatalities occurred in November, 2014.
The two sisters, who were reportedly asleep, were trapped in the early morning inferno. Thomas, 63, managed to jump through a window to escape the flames. He, however, sustained second and third degree burns and later succumbed while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
This matter took police two years to crack. A drug addict reportedly confessed to police that he was offered money to set fire to the disputed building. Police believe that the building was torched to drive out individuals who were also claiming ownership of the property by prescriptive rights.
During her ruling, the Chief Magistrate said that oral statements made by Krishna and Kissoon were admitted to form part of the prosecution’s case and evidence.
According to Chief Magistrate McLennan, the two accused were cautioned by detectives before they made their statements and that there were no breaches in the judge’s rule.
She said that the statement given to detectives by the two accused were freely and voluntarily made and that she found no threats, force or inducements were made by detectives to obtain the statements from them.
When asked if he had anything to say in answer to the charge, Krishna told the court that he was “very innocent” and that he will reserve his defence for the High Court. Kissoon also professed his innocence and declined to call witnesses in his defence.
The duo will go before a judge and jury at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes.
During the PI, Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers called a number of witnesses to testify.
These consisted of several police officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown and civilians.
Among them were Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) Mitchell Caesar, officer in charge of the Major Crimes Investigations Unit; Inspector Suraj Singh and Inspector Devon Lowe.

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