Guilty verdict urged by prosecution
YESTERDAY, Presiding Judge, Miss Roxanne George, admonished the 12-member jury not to discuss the case with anyone – not even among themselves – until she has summed up the evidence to them today.
After addressing them on the law and on the facts, she would hand over the case to them for their consideration and verdict.
The current trial is a retrial. The first trial ended in disagreement by the jury who failed to arrive at a verdict. A new trial was ordered.
The accused, Rajendra  Gossai, called ‘Jetley’, is on trial for raping a  14-year old girl on September 4, 2004, without her consent.
The accused, who it is said was living near to the  girl, had seen her go to  an outside bath hut, wrapped only in a bath towel. He then entered her bedroom and awaited her return. When she enquired what he was doing there he told her to shut her mouth. She replied that she would report the matter to her father.
The girl said that the accused grabbed her, pulled her to the floor of the room and he raped her.   She attempted to scream but was prevented by the accused who placed his hand on her mouth.
In his defence, the accused led an alibi defence. He said that on the morning of September 4, 2004, he was  at Non Pariel,  but at the time of the alleged offence , about 16:30 hrs, he was at Linden,  working with others in the construction of a house.
His mother testified to the fact that he was a carpenter at Linden at the time but had visited them at Non Pariel on that morning to collect some tools. He left soon afterwards and she did not see him in the afternoon.
Under cross-examination by prosecutor, Miss Konyo Sandiford, who is appearing in association with Miss Zamilla Alli, the mother denied that  her son was  present in the afternoon and that she (the mother) had asked her son why  he committed the crime.
She also denied a suggestion that she had made three attempts to offer money to the girl’s parents to have the matter settled outside the court for $150,000.00.
The judge will sum up the case today.