Acquaintance between juror, accused relatives aborts murder trial
JUSTICE Roxanne George-Wiltshire, following a closed door meeting with lawyers on both sides, aborted a murder trial at the Demerara Assizes yesterday.
The judge, acting on information from a juror, ruled in the interest of justice and discharged the jury without calling on them for a verdict. Before taking the action, Justice George-Wiltshire, who was privy to the information the day  before, summoned  a female juror to her chambers, where the latter confirmed that, on seeing the relatives of the accused, she realised that she had known the men in the dock and did not wish to sit at their trial.
Subsequently, the judge ascended the Bench and announced what she was doing and why.
The jurors were asked to return next Monday, with the others who will be summoned for possible selection on another panel to try the case.
The indicted prisoners are Annandram Dhar Amraj called ‘Alvin’, ‘Duck Beek’ and ‘Allan’; Naresh Boodhoo known as ‘Allu’, ‘Alloo’ and ‘Taipaul’ and Hemraj Boodwah alias ‘Tilly’.
The indictment against them said on February 11, 2006, they murdered Seeragie called ‘Prowell Seerajie’ and ‘Lalta’.
After the jury was empanelled on Monday, counsel on both sides had agreed that the proceedings would begin with a voir dire (trial within a trial) and the jurors were excused from the courtroom while evidence was taken  in their absence.
It was during that Monday session that the judge learnt about the acquaintance between the juror and relatives of the accused.
Prosecuting in the aborted trial were State Counsel Konyo Sandiford and Renita Singh opposite Defence Counsel Compton Richardson and Peter Hugh.