…details involvement in Bartica massacre

MICHAEL Caesar called “Capone”, who was sentenced to 60 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, testified on behalf of the defence as a witness on Monday in the High Court before Justice Roxane George and a 12-member jury in the Bartica Massacre trial.

Caesar narrated to the court from the time they left in a boat to go to Bartica and gave a detailed account of what transpired there.
He was led by Defence Counsel Roger Yearwood, who is representing accused Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie” and was asked when he was arrested in relation to the Bartica incident. He said it was in 2009 in Suriname and he was brought back to Guyana and handed over to the police.

When led, Caesar was further asked whether he knew Mark Royden Williams and he said he never saw him before he was charged in the magistrates’ court and added that he was not with them in Bartica.

Yearwood asked Caesar if he was in court on Monday to lie in favour of the accused and he said he wasn’t and wasn’t promised anything to testify.

Under cross examination by Saphier Hussain, Caesar was questioned whether Dennis Williams called “Anaconda” was present with him in Bartica and he said he wasn’t.

Under cross-examination by Peter Hugh, Caesar told the court that he not know Roger Simon called “Goat Man” before he was charged in relation to the Bartica incident and that he wasn’t familiar with the nickname.

Caesar said Roger Simon was never part of the group in the boat that went to Bartica.

TAINTED WITNESS
Under cross-examination by the state, Diana Kaulesar asked Caesar if he gave a statement to the police when he was arrested as it relates to the Bartica incident and he said he didn’t but affixed his signature to a paper under duress.

The witness said he didn’t go very far in school since he dropped out at primary school level where he used to attend at #1 Courtland Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

He told the court that he started working in the interior at age 13 when his cousin, Clebert Recce called “Chi-Chi” who was sentenced to 35 years in jail after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter as it relates to the Bartica Massacre, took him in the bush where his mother had a shop.

Caesar said he used to buy and sell between Guyana and Suriname for about four years and even though he had a passport he used the ‘back track’ route when traveling and in 2004 he stopped trading.

He told the court that he went to Suriname after the Bartica incident to hide out and avoid being arrested because he knew he was wanted by the police here for several murders.

Kaulesar asked Caesar if he knew Omali Rogers or one “Short Man’ from Albouystown and he said he didn’t.

Caesar said he was arrested on March 7, 2009 for the Bartica Massacre after he was hiding out in Suriname for more than a year.

State prosecutor Kaulesar asked Caesar if he was charged for the December 16, 2007 murders of Fazal Hakim called Boyie” and Rakesh Singh called Rabbit” at Agriculture Road, East Coast Demerara, which is still pending and he replied in the affirmative.

She further asked Caesar if he was also charged for the January 26, 2008 Lusignan Massacre where he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter which occurred a month after the Bartica Massacre and he said “that’s correct.”

GANG MEMBER
Caesar told the court he was present when eight persons were killed at Lusignan and was a member of Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins gang in both massacres.

Caesar said it was through his cousin, Clebert Reece he met Fineman in late 2007 in Buxton.

Kaulesar asked Caesar if ‘Smallie” was a member of Fineman’s gang and he said he wasn’t although they used to refer to each other by nicknames and was grilled as to his motive in coming to court to testify on behalf of a stranger and he said he wanted to tell the truth.

He said he didn’t know Roger Simon, Dennis Williams and Mark Royden Williams before he was charged for the Bartica Massacre since the men were not there with him.

Caesar said his relationship with Fineman can be described as a close friend and he met him in 2007 and was at one time sharing a cell with Roger Simon but denied ever giving the police a statement which he mentioned the names of the three accused as being part of the gang that was in Bartica.

At this point, defence counsel Roger Yearwood closed his case for his client, Mark Royden Williams called “Smallie.”

Meanwhile, Dennis Williams called “Anaconda” when asked to lead his defence elected to take the stand where he was led by his attorney Saphier Hussain and cross-examined by the state on Monday afternoon.