….after witnesses failed to turn up 16 times
The charges against the three policemen accused on separate charges of torturing a teen and wounding two other persons were yesterday dismissed by Magistrate Naysha Williams-Hatmin at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate Court. After witnesses in the case failed to make appearances on several occasions, the magistrate decided to dismiss the charges against Mohanram Dolai, Narine Lall and Oswald Foo.
Police Inspector Krishnadat Ramana, prosecuting, said the case was called 16 times and the virtual complainants never appeared in court. He said arrest warrants were issued for the complainants, Tyrone Thomas and Deonarine Rafeek.
The prosecutor said arrest warrants were also issued for other witnesses in the case. He said although the court dates were published in the media, the witnesses still failed to turn up.
Ramana said on all 16 occasions when the case was called the defendants were present in court with their lawyers.
According to the charges brought against the trio, on October 28, at the Leonora Police Station, they unlawfully and maliciously wounded Rafick, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm.
A second charge against Lall and Dolai alleged that between October 20 and October 29 last, at the Leonora Police Station, they unlawfully and maliciously wounded Nouravi Wilfred.
Lall and Dolai were also slapped with a charge of felonious wounding, which alleged that they unlawfully and maliciously wounded the 15-year-old boy, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm. This incident allegedly occurred on October 28 at the Leonora Police Station.
The defendants, on their first court appearance, were granted $175,000 bail each. (Nathalene DeFreitas)