CCJ orders release of Bisram pending appeal of murder committal
Guyanese-American businessman, Marcus Bisram
Guyanese-American businessman, Marcus Bisram

–must surrender passport, report to police every Monday

TWO weeks after Guyanese-American businessman, Marcus Bisram turned himself over to prison authorities to stand trial for murder, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has ordered his release until the determination of the appeal case that is before it.
Bisram’s lawyers Darshan Ramdhanie, QC, and Arudranauth Gossai had moved to the CCJ, seeking leave to appeal the Court of Appeal’s recent decision that the businessman stand trial for the murder. On Friday, during a case management hearing, the CCJ suspended the judgment of the Appeal Court until it hears and determines the appeal filed by Bisram. The CCJ has also ordered the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C. not to take additional steps in the existing criminal proceedings to further the prosecution of Bisram, including but not limited to any steps to detain him, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
The CCJ further ordered that Bisram surrenders his passport to the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana, and remains in Guyana and presents himself to the Divisional Commander or Deputy Commander of ‘B’ Division by 12:00hrs on Monday of every week until the determination of the appeal.
On May 31, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of a case filed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C., to challenge the decision made by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall on June 1, 2020 to free Bisram. Justice Morris-Ramlall had granted several orders which led to Bisram’s release. The first order granted by the trial judge was for the quashing of the decision of the DPP made on or about March 30, 2020, directing Magistrate Renita Singh to reopen the preliminary inquiry into the charge against Bisram, with a view to committing him for the said charge on the ground that the decision of the DPP was unreasonable, unlawful, and made by ignoring relevant considerations and ultra vires.

The second was an order of certiorari for the quashing of the decision of the DPP, directing Magistrate Singh to commit Bisram for trial in the High Court. Additionally, the judge granted an order which prohibited the DPP from proffering an indictment in the High Court charging Bisram.
Following the judge’s order, Bisram walked out of the Camp Street Prison, on June 2, 2020, after the final documents were signed.
Dissatisfied, the DPP moved to the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the ruling. In delivering the unanimous decision in May, the Chancellor (ag) of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards said: “We are of the view that the committal proceedings by the magistrate and the direction by the Director of Public Prosecutions would not have been invalid.”
Bisram had to turn himself over to the police and was placed on remand to stand trial for the capital offence of murder before the High Court.
Bisram is accused of being the mastermind in the killing of Berbice carpenter, Faiyaz Narinedatt, on October 31, 2016. Narinedatt’s body was found on Number 70 Village road in Berbice. The next day police arrested his attackers who confessed that the flamboyant Bisram had ordered them to commit the killing. It is alleged that the carpenter refused Bisram’s sexual advances which led to him ordering the hit. Bisram returned to the United States after the crime was committed but was extradited to Guyana in November 2019, after spending over two years in prison.

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