PROSECUTION failure to serve a statement given by Freddie Kissoon against Kwame McCoy, Jason Abdulla and Shawn Hinds in relation to the 2010 assault on him has forced the trial into an adjournment.The hearing commenced on Monday before City Magistrate Judy Latchman against former Liaison Officer under the PPP government, Kwame McCoy, self-confessed death squad member Sean Hinds and Opposition Executive, Jason Abdulla.

The men are currently on $100,000 each for allegedly assaulting Kissoon, a newspaper columnist on May 24, 2010 at Georgetown.

McCoy, Abdulla and Hinds allegedly walked up to Kissoon and threw faeces in his face after he emerged from Nigel Supermarket, Robb Street, Georgetown. It was reported that Abdulla and Hinds confessed to the crime while in custody.

Attorney Latchmie Rahamat is representing McCoy; attorneys Euclin Gomes and Glen Hanoman are representing for Abdulla while Hinds is being represented by George Thomas.

The hearing commenced with testimonies from two policemen whereafter Kissoon would have testified. However before Kissoon could have testified, the defense attorneys strongly objected since the prosecutor, Corporal Kerry Boswick, had not provided them with copies of Kissoon’s statements.

“It’s a common assault matter that has been brought six years after the event. After we have spent so much time before the court at this late stage the prosecutor is now asking for a statement to be now served,” Abdulla’s lawyer, Hanoman said.

Hanoman added that the prosecution’s request was an insult to the court and certainly an abuse of process since the virtual complainant was Mr. Freddie Kissoon.”

The lawyer further urged the court that unless the prosecutor provides the court with a proper excuse, prosecutor Boswick should not be granted time to have the statement disclosed.

McCoy’s lawyer, Rahamat stressed that the since the charge against the defendants was filed in February the prosecutor had ample time to serve statements in the matter.

Hind’s lawyer, Thomas also charged similar views with his colleagues.

Thomas vented Kissoon’s statement should have been the first one given to the defence because he was the virtual complainant in the case.

Prosecutor Bostwick, in response to the lawyers’ claims stated that he did not deliberately withhold the statement. The prosecution explained that the statement was in the case file, and might have been overlooked by the clerk who photocopied the statements.

Magistrate Latchman granted the prosecutor time to properly prepare the statements which will also allow the attorneys the opportunity to recall the police witnesses for further cross examination. The statement was given to the defendants in the afternoon and the matter was adjourned until August 23.

On May 24, 2010, Kissoon had just emerged from Nigel’s Supermarket on Robb Street, around 19:00 hours and had already entered his vehicle when a man walked up to him and threw the faeces in his face. Kissoon managed to drive behind the perpetrator, who ran north along Light Street then west into North Road before jumping into a waiting white AT 192 Toyota Carina motorcar and escaped.

A soiled Kissoon tried to intercept the car but backed off to avoid a collision. Meanwhile, police sources revealed that PPP/C Press and Publicity Officer McCoy had been identified as the alleged mastermind behind the attack on Kissoon.

Hinds had provided security services to a number of PPP personalities, while Abdulla also worked at the then Office of the President and is now a functionary at the PPP’s Freedom Radio housed at the party’s headquarters on Robb Street, Georgetown.