Berbice councillor, Abel Seetaram, jailed for wounding vendor

Jun 14, 2018 News

A shocked and bewildered Region Five APNU/AFC councillor and Community Development Officer Abel Seetaram was yesterday jailed for 18 months at the Fort Wellington Magistrate Court. The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Rhondell Weaver.
Abel Seetaram, 37, of Lot 121 B Woodley Park Village, West Coast Berbice, was charged with the felonious wounding of Nateram Rabindranauth, 54, a vendor of Lot 64 A Woodley Park Village, West Coast Berbice on January 21, last.

Abel Seetaram being taken away

Magistrate Weaver before handing down the sentence, stated that Rabindranauth’s injuries sustained during the confrontation were duly considered. These injuries included a fractured nose.
Seetaram’s many traffic offences were also highlighted. She noted that those traffic offences increased over a short period of time.
Seetaram’s Attorney, Horatio Edmonson, had requested that a probation report be compiled on Seetaram’s behalf before the sentence. The report detailed that the APNU/AFC councillor was a father of six and is employed as a Community Development Officer for the Ministry of Communities in Region Five.
He received a monthly income of $126,000 along with a monthly stipend of $10,000 for his councillor position at the RDC Region Five. The report also stated that Seetaram did not complete his CSEC examinations.
The report further stated that in 2016 Seetaram was fined $30,000 for dangerous driving, $15,000 for breach of insurance and $25,000 for being an unlicensed driver. In the following year he had charges of abusive language and threatening language dismissed against him.
Attorney Edmonson in a plea of mitigation for Seetaram, requested a non-custodial sentence for his client citing that he is the sole breadwinner for this family with his youngest child being just 10 months old.
AFC Members from Region Six, Gladwin Abdulla and Dereck Basdeo, were present at the court in support of their colleague. They were as shocked as Seetaram when the sentence was handed down.
The APNU/AFC councillor was immediately handcuffed and whisked away by ranks.
Kaieteur News also understands Seetaram will appeal the sentence.
Natram Rabindranauth, 54, was hospitalised at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital with a broken jaw, fractured nose and internal bleeding in January. The vendor explained that he was plying his daily trade along the No. 11 Public Road when he saw his son involved in a scuffle with Seetaram’s son.
Rabindranauth, Seetaram’s cousin, stated that he stopped and attempted to intervene when Seetaram came out.
“I was passing same time and me try to go and part the fight and then Abel come out of nowhere and lash me with a wood across me head,” the injured man recounted.
He said that after he received the lash, he fell to the ground and was bleeding profusely from his nose when Seetaram reportedly walked away with his son in the direction of the Fort Wellington Police Station.
Rabindranath stated that shortly after he managed to compose himself and subsequently left for the Police Station with his son as well. A report was made and a medical document was given to him by the police to visit the Fort Wellington Hospital.
Seetaram is well known for his Saturday night programme with the Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan on a local television station in Berbice weekly.

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