3 Homicide cops on the witness stand

THREE police officers attached to the Homicide Bureau of Investi-gations testified for the prosecution as the preliminary inquiry into a conspiracy to murder charge against Jamaat Al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr continued yesterday. In fact, the court had to wait for one of the police officers, PC Michael Veronique, who disappeared from the precincts of the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court. There was a short adjournment as Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls gave the prosecution an opportunity to get the officer who had reportedly returned to the Homicide Bureau office. When the inquiry was adjourned at 4.55 pm, PC Veronique was still in the witness box waiting to be cross-examined.

Bakr, 62, is charged with David “Buffy” Maillard and others with conspiracy to murder expelled Muslimeen members Salim Rasheed and Zaki Aubidah on June 4, 2003 at Citrine Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin. Bakr is represented by Pamela Elder and Owen Hinds Jr, while Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Carla Browne-Antoine and State attorney George Busby are prosecuting. Hearing resumes on Tuesday. PC Wendell Lucas was the first officer in the witness box. Lucas, who began his testimony on Tuesday, was further cross-examined for two hours and 25 minutes yesterday.
Throughout his cross-examination, it was either Lucas could not recall, or was mistaken. This brought a sudden question from Elder — “Are you suffering from a memory loss?” Lucas said no, but admitted making mistakes from the previous hearing, which he said he had pointed out to the prosecutors.

Lucas ended his testimony by saying that he considered himself a truthful witness. The next witness was WPC Thalia Francis, whose testimony was short and to the point. Although she works at the Homicide Bureau, the same as Lucas, she was not subjected to the type of cross-examination which Lucas encountered. PC Veronique was the other witness. But there was some drama before he arrived. When his name was called, there was no witness. A search was carried out in the corridor of the court house and the witness room, but there was no witness. The Chief Magistrate asked the lead prosecutor to find out from the investigator about the witness. She returned to the court and said that PC Veronique had gone back to the Homicide Bureau office, but would be in court shortly. Mc Nicolls stood the matter down for ten minutes to await the arrival of the witness. PC Veronique eventually arrived and took the witness stand. He apologised for being late, an explanation which was accepted by the Chief Magistrate. During his evidence-in-chief, PC Veronique identified an AK-47 rifle, a Maverick 88 shotgun, one magazine and 41 rounds of ammunition. He will be cross-examined at the next hearing.