Senior cop tenders bullets in evidence

A BOTTLE containing bullets was yesterday tendered by a police superintendent called by the State as a witness to give evidence in the Dr Chandra Naraynsingh preliminary inquiry. The bottle with two lead missiles was tendered by Senior Supt Rodvan Bastien — the State’s 28th witness. Along with the bullets, Bastien tendered a post-mortem report performed on Dr Chandra, who was killed at the Langmore Health Foundation in Palmyra Village on June 29, 1994. Other documents were also tendered during the evidence of Bastien as well as by another witness — Clerk of the Peace at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court, Amichan Sookram.

During yesterday’s hearing, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, called on Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington to “take control of the courtroom.” Gaspard’s request came when  heated exchanges again erupted before the magistrate, when attorney Prakash Ramadhar continued cross-examination of Assistant Supt of Police Nadir Khan. ASP Khan, the State’s 26th witness, laid murder charges against Prof Vijay Naraynsingh, his current wife, Seeromanie and businessman Elton Ramasir. Gaspard questioned the conduct of Ramadhar towards him and ASP Khan. Complaining to the magistrate, Gaspard said: “I do not appreciate counsel telling me to sit down and this and that. I ask you to take control of the courtroom. Counsel is shouting at the witness and fired a kick in the courtroom. Everyone saw that. I think counsel should comport himself.”

Ramadhar replied: “Now that Gaspard has his soundbite, I will not be distracted. And in relation to the kick — I walk and do things. If he felt a pain somewhere, I don’t know. Let’s move on.” Later during the hearing, Hudson-Phillips and Gaspard clashed when Gaspard objected to Queen’s Counsel’s questioning of Khan about a document. Hudson-Phillips told the magistrate, “I can understand my learned friend’s objection. It goes to the malicious prosecution of this case. I know how sensitive my learned friend is about this piece of evidence.” Hudson-Phillips said he didn’t want to delay the case further since he will be leaving the jurisdiction on Saturday. “This case has been going on for three months,” Hudson-Phillips reminded Magistrate Wellington.

One of the State’s key witnesses, hitman Shawn Parris, who is currently serving a life-sentence at the Maximum Security Prison for killing Naraynsingh, is the State’s star witness. At the beginning of yesterday’s hearing, a conflict arose between Gaspard and Hudson-Phillips on whether a witness should be sworn in. Gaspard submitted to the magistrate that the purpose of the witness was to tender a document, and it may not be necessary to have him sworn in. However, Hudson-Phillips insisted on the witness being sworn in. “There must be evidence in that report,” Hudson-Phillips explained. “It is a critical piece of evidence. Who knows I may want to ask a question of the witness. It is better procedurally to do this,” Hudson-Phillips said.