Two young men appear in court for kidnapping and attempted murder

Two men appeared before a Port-of-Spain magistrate on nine charges including the kidnapping and attempted murder of NH International Clerk, Vandana Ali. Appearing before Magistrate Avason Quinlan in the city’s Four “B” Court were 18-year-old Isaac Estrada and 21-year-old Jemerley Rolle, both of Diego Martin. The charges against the men, which were read by Magistrate Quinlan, stated that on May 29, both men carried away Ali against her will, and also on the same date, shot the victim with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

They were also charged with possession of a firearm without a licence  The men were also charged with possession of arms and ammunition with intent to do grievous bodily harm. The kidnapping and attempted murder charges were both laid indictably while they pleaded guilty to the other charges laid against them. Both Estrada and Rolle have matters of similar nature pending before the courts, and as a result, the men were denied bail and remanded in custody.

Both men were pointed out during an ID parade held on Thursday and charged for the offences for which they appeared yesterday.. Ali was abducted outside her Diamond Vale home on May 29 by two men who took her to Blue Basin where she was shot in the face and thrown in the bushes. Her relatives were ordered to pay an $8000 ransom for her safe return. Ali was found bleeding by police officers who were at the time investigating the shooting death of a 15-year-old school girl, Elena Cupid and PH driver Kevin Renaud Cassie at Blue Basin. The men will reappear in court on June 22.