In  Providence murder trial
PROSECUTION star witness Michael Jagdeo yesterday denied  defence suggestions that he had placed Nigel Forrester on the scene in order to save himself. Jagdeo was one of the suspects for the murder of Mahadeo Budhai on November 24, 2005.
But under pressing cross-examination by defence counsel Mr. Basil Williams, Jagdeo  admitted that after the police had constantly accused him  of being among the last persons at Budhai’s home, before he was found dead  in his backyard, he (witness) told the police that Nigel Forrester was the last man on the scene.’’
Nigel Forrester is now accused of the murder of Mahadeo Budhai who was found dead in his bushy backyard on the night of November 24th, 2005, with a post mortem declaring his death as due to strangulation.
Prosecutors Miss Rhondel Weever and Miss Lachmie Rahamat are alleging that evidence will be led to show that the accused had committed the offence.
The other witnesses who testified yesterday included Police Photographer Cleveland Brooms.
He testified that he took pictures of the scene and had processed them, with the object of tendering them at the trial if required.
In answer to defence counsel, the witness said that the pictures were not intended for investigators and CID officers to use in their investigations.
Michael Jagdeo is the only witness that has so far put the accused on the scene.
Michael said that he knew the accused Forrester.  He also knew the murdered man Mahadeo Budhai.
Budhai, witness said, had carried on a grocery and rum shop at his home at Providence.
According to witness, following work as a mason on  November 24th, he and his friend  Azam  had gone to  Budhai’s bar to purchase a half bottle rum, when the accused Forrester entered the shop and ordered nuts.
Continuing, witness Jagdeo said that Budhai said to Forrester that he would have to wait, with the result that Forrester left and he didn’t see him again that night.
Witness said that he and his friend were drinking the rum when Budhai beckoned them about the time.  They then poured their rum into another bottle and left for another area to continue drinking. Witness said that he heard a drunk man say something that made him return to Budhai’s home, where he saw Budhai’s wife crying.
Witness added, “I asked her what happened and she replied I don’t know”. She advised me to go to the back yard and check.
Going on witness said that he went to the back,and saw Budhai lying on his back and he appeared to be dead.
Under cross-examination witness denied that he was a witness of convenience who had come to give evidence to help Mrs. Budhai, who is a suspect.
Witness admitted that there is no evidence before the magistrate at the preliminary inquiry, that the accused had told the police during the investigations that the accused was one of the last persons seen at Budhai’s home on the night of November 24, 2005.
Mrs. Budhai and other witnesses had testified that the back yard did not have lights, but Jagdeo said that he had seen a light from a rack at the back of the yard that night.
The trial continues today at the Demerara Assizes before  Justice Roxanne George and a mixed jury.