Oyster vendor’s long wait for justice

On September 30, 2001, Rassol was chopped in the hand and face by a man during an argument.

Ramnarine Sylvan was later arrested and charged. A Preliminary Inquiry was conducted in the San Fernando Magistrates Court as the charge against Sylvan was laid indictably. Rassol told Newsday yesterday that he attended the magistrates’ court on about 50 occasions during the PI. On June 17, 2011, Sylvan was committed to stand trial by former magistrate Roger Ramgoolam. The magistrate has since resigned from the bench and is a lecturer at the Sir Hugh Wooding Law School.

Rassol said that 15 years after the incident, it seems like an eternity waiting for the trial to start. “Five years have passed and I am still awaiting a hearing in the High Court.

Is this what justice looks like in 2016,” Rassol asked. He said that checks with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in San Fernando for an update on what might have become of the committal file, but nothing has been forthcoming.

When an inquiry is completed, all notes of evidence are typed by clerks in the magistrates’ court and together with all other relevant documents, are sent to the office of the DPP for preparation of the indictment against the accused and notices to witnesses. “It has been five years and I have heard absolutely nothing. Attorneys in the DPP’s office have not been able to tell me anything, except that they are looking into the matter.” Rassol said that since the incident 15 years ago, he has not done much oyster harvesting because of the injuries he suffered on the left and two of his fingers.

He is hoping that when justice is delivered in the court, he would be afforded monetary compensation.

“But that is providing,” Rassol said, “if my witnesses are still around to testify because as you know, time waits on no man even if that man is awaiting justice.”