Twelfth, thirteenth witnesses for State complete testimony
Stabroek News
October 23, 2002
Two witnesses took the stand yesterday when the Preliminary Inquiry into the charges of treason against Phillip Bynoe and Mark Benschop continued.
A driver for the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Reepu Daman Persaud and Assistant Superintendent of Police Wilfred Sandy, the twelfth and thirteenth witness for the State respectively, completed their testimony and were cross-examined by attorney Mortimer Coddette for the defence.
While the defence continued its criticism of the prosecution for the alleged prompting of the witness, the prosecution continued to object to what it said were the unfair questions and premises being put to the witness.
Special Prosecutor for the DPP, Sanjeev Datadin is associated with attorneys Anil Nandalall and Darshan Ramdhani for the prosecution. Besides Coddette, Benschop's defence includes attorneys Basil Williams, who is functioning as lead counsel, Raphael Trotman, Carol Martindale-Howard, Emily Dodson, Roysdale Forde and Shaun Allicock.
Yesterday's proceedings came to a premature end at midday when the Special Prosecutor for the DPP, Sanjeev Datadin, told the court that the two other witnesses who had been scheduled to give evidence at the hearing were ill and unable to attend. Questioned by the magistrate, Datadin said he had been in the Court of Appeal earlier in the morning and had all assurances that the witnesses - Sgt Lewis and another, Gibson - would be present though he did not get the opportunity to contact them. He said he subsequently learnt they were ill but was unable to say what they were suffering from.
He was urged by the magistrate to get enough witnesses for a full day and promised that the prosecution would make every effort to do so.
The hearing is scheduled to continue this morning at 0930 hrs.