‘Robo Cop’ freed of kidnap charges

FOUR men, including well-known Chaguanas resident Selwyn “Robo Cop” Alexis, were yesterday released from charges of kidnapping south businessman Saran Kissoondan, after Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson chose to discontinue proceedings against the men for lack of evidence, following the murder of the State’s main witness. Alexis, Brian Cole, Kevin Simpson and Rooplal Harricharan were told they were freed of the charges by acting deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington, who presided over the First Court yesterday, when the four accused men reappeared in court on the matter. The four were charged with kidnapping Kissoondan from his Palmyra Village, San Fernando home on February 23. The men were also charged with wrongful imprisonment of Kissoondan.

The matter was being heard in the Couva Magistrates’ Court prior to the four accused men being freed yesterday. Alexis was represented by attorney Keith Beckles, while Ravi Gooljar appeared on behalf of Harricharan. Cpl Roopnarine was the complainant in the matter. Attorney Gillian Lucky, who was granted a fiat by Ag DPP Carla Brown Antoine on August 7 to  represent the State in the matter, informed the court of the DPP’s decision to discontinue proceedings against the four men. Lucky voiced her concern with the lack of a proper mechanism to protect State witnesses. She referred to the final results as “very unfortunate. “On Tuesday evening, I received oral instructions from the DPP that the Prosecution was not to offer any further evidence against any of the accused men.”

The murder of the State’s main witness Kevin Richards, Lucky said, played a  part in this eventual decision. Richards’ body was fished out of a shallow pond in Central Trinidad on August 22. At the time of his death, Richards was still giving his evidence in the Preliminary Inquiry against the four men. Lucky added that the DPP came to the decision after “reviewing the file and evidence thus far.” In court yesterday, State Counsel Mauriceia Joseph, representing the DPP, provided confirmation of the decision. While expressing her disappointment, Lucky mentioned that Part 4 of the fiat stated that any decision to continue prosecution must not be taken without expressed approval of the DPP. When at 10.46 am, Wellington informed the accused men they were discharged, their relatives who were present at the court, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Outside the court, a clearly disturbed Kissoondan expressed his disappointment in the final decision. However, Alexis said he intended to take legal action against the police and the State, who he said, were trying to set him up. “I was arrested wrongfully,” Alexis, a father of eight cried. He alleged a cover-up  by authorities in the present spate of kidnappings in the country and said police were “playing games.” “Everything will come out in time,” Alexis promised before entering a white Mazda RX-7 car which sped off.