Judge to sum-up in south murder trial

CONFESSION statements, identification parades and police fabricating evidence were elements of the closing arguments to the jury in the San Fernando First Criminal Assizes heard yesterday, from the prosecution and defence in the murder trial of Kamal Pooran and Ramzan Asgarali. The month-long trial before Justice Herbert Volney drew to a close as attorneys Chaitram Sinanan and Rupert Frank defended their client’s innocence before the 12-member mixed panel. Pooran, 25, a market vendor and Asgarali, a small engine technician, are accused of murdering Rio Claro PH taxi driver Surujbally “Billy” Mohan on a date unknown between April 29 and May 2, 1999. In addressing the jury, Attorney Sinanan attacked the credibility of the statement submitted by State Prosecutor Althea Alexis, in which Asgarali confessed about the murder. Asgarali had testified that police tricked him into signing “pieces of paper” without reading what was contained in the document, since they were “police records.” He also called the identification parade on which Asgarali was pointed out as a “fiasco.” The defence attorney recalled police evidence that after Asgarali was fed a meal he opted to dictate the statement.

Sinanan charged: “Do you really believe that the accused was served rice, red beans and stewed chicken within five minutes of reaching the station? Then the Mayaro Police Station should be upgraded to a Five-Star restaurant, but not even a restaurant gives you that kind of service. They (police) fixed the records to suit, Mr Foreman and members of the jury.” Frank, Pooran’s attorney, gave a short address to the jury. telling them his client was innocent of the Mohan’s murder and asking the jury to return a not guilty verdict. After the lunch break, State prosecutor Althea Alexis was given her turn to address the jury. Alexis refuted the testimonies of the accused that they did not give police the statements.  The State attorney asked the panel to focus on the evidence put before them and not on the mistakes by the witnesses. At the end of the day’s proceedings, Justice Volney told the panel that today he will advise them on the law when he summarises the case. “Go home with an open mind,” the judge said, “and when I give you the law you can put it into perspective and come to a verdict.”