ASSISTANT Superintendent of Prisons, Mr. Paul James has reported that there are five prisoners who submitted statements to support their willingness to plead during the June sessions of the Berbice Assizes scheduled for opening tomorrow.However, after Navin Sugrim and Roy Lewis, both committed for murder, heard that it was Justice Navindra Singh who would be presiding, they have since withdrawn that decision.
The other committed prisoners at the New Amsterdam Penitentiary who have maintained their positions are fellow murder accused Omar Bacchus, Bheem Evans and Charles Goodluck.
Justice Singh, is known in prison circles, as the judge with the ‘iron fist’, due to his practice of imposing ‘heavy’ sentences on those convicted for murder.
However, James, who was presenting the Jail Delivery at the close of the February Assizes before Justice Franklyn Holder, said there were twenty-nine prisoners who were requesting an early trial, and among them Omar Bacchus is the longest committed prisoner, having been admitted on September 5, 2008. He has since spent six years, nine months at the New Amsterdam prison.
This reporter was told by State Prosecutrix Ms. Natasha Backer that she, like her predecessors, was not in possession of Omar Bacchus’ file. However, efforts will again be made to find it.
It was reported that of the twenty-nine all-male group, twenty-six are listed for murder and the remainder are listed for sexual penetration.
Also listed are three seventeen-year-old murder offenders, namely Warmish Ramballe, Jainarine Shivnarine and Ryan Persaud. The oldest committed prisoner is sixty-four-year-old Charles Goodluck.
Nine cases emanated from the New Amsterdam Court, while, the Blairmont district recorded one case.
Meanwhile, the June session is expected to commence on June 16, with the traditional ceremonial march past and the inspection of police ranks in front of the Berbice High Court at Esplanade Road in the New Amsterdam township.

By Jeune Bailey Vankeric