THE Bartica Massacre trial continued on Wednesday with State Prosecutor, Diana Kaulesar laying out her case and urging the jury to consider the evidence presented in court by witnesses separately although the three accused were jointly charged.

Wednesday’s session got off to a late start before Justice Roxane George and a 12-member jury as a result of the late arrival of Defence Counsel, Saphier Hussain. When asked by Justice George his reason for being more than an hour late he said there was a road accident at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, which caused a traffic jam.

He was excused by Justice George but warned to make it at court on time during the rest of the trial. The opening address was made by State Prosecutor Diana Kaulesar, who told the court that on February 17, 2008 when residents were engrossed in the 20/20 cricket match being televised, the men went on a rampage having descended on Bartica at nightfall.

She said they carted off guns belonging to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) after they killed three policemen. Kaulesar further stated that the group of men took the police vehicle and continued their onslaught in Bartica where they killed innocent civilians numbering nine, including five men, who were executed at the Bartica Stelling.

She said some men who participated in the incident were arrested following an investigation conducted by the police and three of them were seated in the courtroom on Wednesday. The prosecutor then directed her submission to the 12-member jury outlining their role in the courtroom as it related to evidence being presented in the high-profile murder trial.

She asked the jury to consider only the evidence presented in court by witnesses separately although the three accused were jointly charged.
The trial started with a voir dire (a trial within a trial) to determine the admissibility of evidence in the trial. On trial are Mark Royden called “Durant,” Dennis Williams called “Anaconda” and Roger Simon called “Goat Man” indicted for 12 counts each for the murder of nine civilians and three policemen at Bartica on February 17, 2008.

Royden is being represented by Roger Yearwood, Williams’ lawyer is Saphier Hussain and Simon’s attorney is Peter Hugh. The trial continues today at 09:00hrs.

The five accused: Mark Royden called ‘Durant Williams’, Dennis Williams aka “Anaconda”, Clebert Reece called “Chi-Chi”, Michael Caesar, and Roger Simon, allegedly murdered 12 men at Bartica on February 17, 2008.
The five are facing 12 counts of murder, one count of terrorism, one count of unlawful wounding and three counts of break and enter and larceny.

Caesar and Reece have since pleaded guilty to manslaughter separately on Monday and Tuesday and will return to the High Court on December 16, 2016 for probation reports followed by sentencing before Justice Roxane George. During the February 17, 2008 rampage nine civilians and three cops were gunned down by a group of heavily armed men, who descended on Bartica at nightfall.

Those who lost their lives were Bartica residents: Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian and Irving Ferreira; policemen stationed at the Bartica Police Station, Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne; Deonarine Singh of Wakenaam; Ronald Gomes of Kuru Kururu; Ashraf Khan of Middlesex, Essequibo; Abdool Yasseen; Errol Thomas of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Baldeo Singh of Montrose, East Coast Demerara.
Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins, according to the police, led the gang on the rampage in Bartica, as well as the one that converged on Lusignan on January 26, 2008. Rawlins was killed during a joint services operation on August 28, 2008. With his death and the arrest and prosecution of the five suspects, it appeared as though the police had closed their investigation.