Trinis’ hearing in Venezuela wraps up

He is calling on Government to help them get out of jail, where they have been detained since March 19, 2014.

The detainee, Wade Charles, indicated to Newsday yesterday from his Caracas jail that the judge wrapped up the proceedings on Wednesday against himself and the other four.

They were initially detained on terrorism charges.

Apart from the police who gave statements in which there was no evidence against them to be charged for terrorist activity in Venezuela, Charles said there were no more witness coming forward to testify.

Having found no evidence to charge them for terrorism earlier in the hearing, Charles and the other men were asked to plead guilty to the lesser count of espionage, for which the sentence is three years, but they refused.

They have already spent two and a half years in detention.

They are due to return to court of September 12 for the judge’s decision. They are optimistic the judge will rule in their favour and they will be allowed to return home.

Noting the frustrations they have been going through, Charles said they are hoping there is no further postponement.

The other four detainees are Dominic Petilal, Asim Luqman, Andre Battersby and Leslie Daisley. They had gone to Venezuela to obtain visas to travel to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Charles’ mother, Gloria, yesterday told Newsday she supports her son’s plea for Government to intervene and assist the five men at this stage as they have not been charged for anything and with their fate now in the hands of a judge.

She still thinks the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affair, through diplomatic channels, can assist the men greatly.

She said the men were frustrated and at their wits’ end, not only because of being wrongfully accused, but they were in need of medical treatment and food. In addition, their families at home have been suffering emotionally. Her grandchildren, she said, have been deeply affected by their father’s absence as he was their sole provider.