Kaieteur News murder Preliminary Inquiry…
Magistrate admits Skinny's statement into evidence
Kaieteur News
March 20, 2007
The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the August 8 killings of five Kaieteur News pressmen continued yesterday with the testimony of Sergeant Trevor Reid.
Yesterday, during the court session, a statement was tendered and admitted into evidence despite objections by the number one accused, Jermaine ‘Skinny' Charles.
The accused in the killings, Charles, Dwight Da Silva, called ‘Whitey', and Quincy Evans, called ‘Jimmy Dog', are appearing before Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court.
The PI began on February 16, more than five months after killings occurred at the Kaieteur News printery, Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
Reid, who is attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Eve Leary, was the officer that arrested Evans and Charles.
After Reid testified, Charles, who is still unrepresented, was asked by Magistrate Gilhuys if he wished to cross-examine the witness. It was at this point that he objected to his statement being tendered into evidence.
Prosecutor, Robert Tyndall told Magistrate Gilhuys that he believes that the statement should be admitted as evidence.
The Magistrate told Charles that he had decided to admit the statement into evidence as exhibit ‘A'.
Attorney-at-Law Hewley Griffith, who appeared on behalf of number three accused, Quincy Evans, asked that cross-examination be deferred to the next court date.
Griffith represented Evans on behalf of Attorney-at-Law Compton Richardson who was unable to appear in court yesterday. On February 19, during the last court session, Nadine Wegman, the wife of deceased Kaieteur News pressman Eion Wegman, testified. The PI commenced with the testimony of Kamechan Harripersaud, the KN pressman who survived the mass execution of his five colleagues. After Harripersaud, a senior press technician gave evidence. Richardson briefly cross-examined him.
On August 17 last, Charles, Da Silva and Evans were charged with the murders of Mark Maikoo, Chetram ‘Boyo' Persaud, Richard Stewart, Eion Wegman and Shazim Mohamed, between August 7 and August 13, at the Kaieteur News printery at Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
The five pressmen were each shot in the backs of their heads, execution-style.
Delwyn Carrington, of 199 Caesar Street , Agricola; 14-year-old ‘Nasty Man'; and Terrence John are also expected to appear in court soon. The six prisoners have other matters pending including murder, robbery-under-arms and unlawful possession of arms and ammunition.
Another accused, Devon Cambridge, who is now deceased, was charged along with Charles and John in connection with a robbery which occurred in 2004.
Cambridge 's bullet-riddled body, with hands bound behind his back, was found on March 12, 2006, in a trench at D'Urban Backlands.
Charles is also charged with the murders of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his two siblings — Pulmattie Persaud and Rajpat Sawh — and security guard Curtis Robinson. That execution occurred on April 22 at the Minister's residence at La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara.
In addition, Charles is charged with the murders of Gilford Henry, Devon Charles, and Bagotstown businessman Wordsworth Grey, who was shot dead on the night of the Kaieteur News killings.
Carrington, ‘Nasty Man', Da Silva, and Evans are also charged with Grey's murder.
They are to return to court on Friday for a report on the matter, since the prosecution was instructed by Magistrate Gilhuys to put all the accused in the killings on a joint charge before proceeding with the matter. At present they are charged separately.
Da Silva, Charles and John are also charged with attempting to commit a felony, while Da Silva and Charles are charged with the murder of Kaneville businessman, Barbot Paul.
Paul was gunned down on August 6 in what appeared to be an execution-style killing by a gang of heavily armed men in a shop in the Kaneville, East Bank Demerara area.
On January 12 last, Charles and his five alleged accomplices were further remanded since the PI could not commence because the prosecution said that it was unable to proceed with the matters against the accused.
During that court appearance, Charles and Da Silva had complained about inhumane conditions at the prison.
Charles, Da Silva and Evans were all told to make another appearance in court on April 2 for continuation of the PI. On the next occasion, Charles and Evans's lawyer are expected to cross-examine Sergeant Reid.