Deadly Suriname high seas attack... 'Fyah' slapped with murder charge, remanded to prison

Deadly Suriname high seas attack… ‘Fyah’ slapped with murder charge, remanded to prison

May 31, 2018 News

Nakool ‘Fyah’ Manohar being escorted by a rank to the court without handcuffs/foot shackles

Supported by his wife and relatives, Nakool ‘Fyah’ Manohar, 39, of Lot 1 Number 43 Village, Corentyne, Berbice appeared at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh to answer a murder charge.
Arriving shortly after 10:00 am yesterday, without handcuffs or foot shackles, Manohar was escorted to the courtroom while relatives flanked him.
As he stood before Magistrate Singh, the charge of murder was read to him. Initially, one count of murder was read. He was accused of killing Tilaknauth Mohabir and Mahesh Sarjoo between the 26th April and 3rd of May, 2018.
Magistrate Singh said that there should have been separate charges–two counts of murder.
The charge was subsequently amended and one count of murder was substituted. It alleged that between April 26, and May 3, 2018 in the Corentyne waters and in the Berbice Magisterial District, Nakool ‘Fyah’ Manohar murdered Tilaknauth Mohabir who was on fishing vessel ‘Romina SK 747’.
The other count of murder will be read to Manohar on the next court date.
He was not required to plead to the indictable charge.
Attorney-at-law Joel Edmond, representing the accused in his defense argued that, “the information brought before the court is improper in law”.
He further explained that the prosecution laid out allegations that his client was involved in piracy and was brought before the local court for an incident that occurred in Suriname.
He also recommended that the charges of two counts of murder being “lumped together” as one should be discharged. The Magistrate, however rejected the suggestion. “I cannot do that”.
The Prosecution led by Police Inspector Orin Joseph in response to Attorney Edmond quoted the piracy act. “Police or prosecution institutes charges even if the offence was committed in another country”.
He added that under that condition the charge of Murder was brought against Manohar. Additionally, Joseph stated that the files for the two previous charges and the murder charge were not complete since the police are in the process of “bringing persons into the country” to allow the process of the file completion.
Attorney Edmond who was not pleased with the length of time his client was kept in custody, argued that the period of time given by the previous Magistrate in the Georgetown Court when his client was slapped with charges for acts committed in 2015 and 2016 was enough time for the file for those two matters to be completed.
He said, “It leaves the accused in limbo. The police should be in a state of readiness”. He requested that the Preliminary Inquiry commence on the next court date.

Relatives of victims Dinesh Persaud and Randy Couchman gathered at the Springlands Court.

Magistrate Singh, however, told Edmond that the matter was never in court and was only brought before him yesterday, hence the reason for the incomplete file.
Manohar was remanded to prison until June 13, next.
Meanwhile, at the Springlands Court relatives, of Dinesh ‘Vickey’ Persaud and Randy ‘Burnham’ Couchman, two of the fishermen who were murdered and dumped overboard into the Suriname waters were present.
Pandemonium broke out when the wife and family of Manohar and the fisherman’s relatives engaged in a heated argument in the bottom flat of the court.
According to one of Persaud’s cousins, Manohar’s wife asked her “What y’all doing here”. She also allegedly asked them, “How a yuh know me husband kill a yuh family?”.
Those remarks reportedly were followed by a threat towards one of the female cousins. “I gon mark yuh face,” Manohar’s wife reportedly said.
Persaud’s relatives subsequently made a report at the Springlands Police Station and both parties were called in to provide statements.
After the conclusion of the court case, Persaud’s wife, Taramattie Abrahim, called ‘Kavita’, disclosed that she is confident that the accused is guilty of the crimes put forth to him.
“He is not innocent because when he buddy get shoot and kill over in Suriname, ‘Fyah’ use the words and say ‘Peter pay for Paul and Paul pay for all. Everybody who went at the meeting in Suriname stand up and say ‘Fyah’ do it.
“Dem na had to do this to them. You tek dem fish or whatever, then go and leave dem fuh live na. Dem got families too.”
Manohar was remanded to prison on May 11, last, for allegedly robbing two fishing vessels in 2015 and 2016.
On Friday April 27, 2018 a gang of pirates attacked four fishing boats, tying up, chopping and throwing boiling oil on crewmen while ordering others to transfer their catch.
Five men survived by jumping overboard and swimming away. Days later, another fishing boat was attacked with the captain, a Guyanese, killed and crewmen dumped overboard.
Some 12 fishermen, all Guyanese, are still missing after the first deadly attack that took place between the Suriname and French Guiana borders.
Manohar was arrested on May 2 at Number 43 Village. Some of his workers were also arrested but were released shortly after; Some of the alleged pirates were also arrested in Suriname.