THE Mahaicony murder case at the Demerara Assizes was temporarily halted on Monday to facilitate an investigation into faulty depositions.
State Prosecutor Judith Mursalin had, successfully, requested the inquiry after the defence counsel had seen a deposition that was not concerned with the case.There were also doubts about whether three other witnesses had testified or not at the preliminary inquiry (PI) before Magistrate Haymant Ramdhani and Mursalin objected to bail for the accused.
The defending lawyers, Jailall Kissoon, Sandil Kissoon and Satyesh Kissoon, are representing Satnarine, Neville Crawford and Randy Crawford, who are indicted for the unlawful killing of Maxwell Watson on January 29, 2010, at Little Abary, Mahaicony, East Coast of Demerara.
The defence counsel submitted that, since it took such a long time before the accused were brought to trial after their committal, it was in the interest of justice that they should be granted bail.
But Justice Franklyn Holder refused the application and directed that Acting Registrar Raschid Mohamed hold an inquiry to resolve the mystery surrounding the depositions.
The Registrar must also try to ascertain whether the three witnesses did testify at the PI and if their testimony was included in the bundle before the court.
It was discovered that among the depositions in court was one by a witness named Philbert Suchit, whose evidence related to another case.
The jurors empanelled to try the case were told to report back for duty on March 24, when the Registrar’s report will be ready.