‘Boyo’ Ramlall murder PI… Prosecution to call final witness next Friday

Aug 17, 2017 News

After two years of calling several detectives and civilian witnesses to testify, Special Prosecutor Nigel Hughes will call the final witness to testify next week Friday, August 25, in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Ganesh Ramlall, who was shot and killed by bandits at his home in 2015.

Lennox ‘Soldier Man’ Roberts, 32, of 2279 Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara; Fazeel ‘Javed’ Bacchus, 21, of 7 Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara and Kurt ‘Banana’ Erskine, 35, of 285 Section ‘C’, Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara are currently on remand for the indictable offence.

The killing allegedly occurred on July 5, 2015 at La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara.

According to reports, Ramlall of Lot C La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara was shot seven times about the body after bandits attacked his home.

The 48-year-old owner of Regent Multiplex Mall had reportedly just returned home from a barbecue, when he was accosted by four men, one of whom shot him to the head and chest before relieving him of jewelry and a wallet before escaping.

The matter continued yesterday before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool in the Leonora Magistrate’s Courts. Police Corporal Melville was recalled to give further evidence in the Voir Dire (trial within a trial).

The Voir Dire is being conducted by the court to ascertain the admissibility of an alleged caution statement given to Police Inspector Detective Suraj Singh by Roberts.

Corporal Melville witnessed the taking of the statement at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown sometime back in July, 2015.

However, Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos, who is representing Roberts, has objected to the alleged caution statement being admitted into evidence. DeSantos is contending that his client was brutally assaulted by detectives to give the statement.

Corporal Melville was the final witness to testify in the Voir Dire.

Thereafter, Prosecutor Hughes closed the case for the state in the Voir Dire and indicated that the final witness in the PI will also testify next Friday.

According to Hughes, this witness has to tender a post mortem report in favour of Ramlall.

DeSantos will lay over submissions to the court in relation to the Voir Dire next Friday.

The Senior Counsel said that he intends to summon two witnesses to testify in the Voir Dire.

Prosecutor Hughes also has to lay over submissions to the court in relation to the Voir Dire before the Magistrate rules on whether the caution statement was freely and voluntarily given by Roberts and if it will be admitted to form part and parcel of the prosecution’s evidence.

Earlier on in the PI, Police Inspector Suraj Singh, Police Sergeants Rodwell Sarrabo and Salaish Roopnarine and Corporal Heranjan Deonarine were among some of the police and civilian witnesses called to testify. Also testifying were members of the Guyana Prison Service.

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