Doctor on rape charge

A SOUTH medical  doctor, specialising in Gynaecology, was granted $100,000 bail with a surety by a San Fernando magistrate before whom the doctor appeared yesterday charged raping a patient.

The 57-year-old doctor appeared in the Fourth Court before Magistrate Armina Deonarinesingh on the charge of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 22-year-old female patient on April 8. The charge was laid indictably, and as such, the doctor was not called upon to enter a plea. A Preliminary Inquiry (PI) will now be carried in the Magistrate Court following which, the Mmagistrate will rule, based on evidence, if a prima facie case has been made against the doctor, to warrant him being sent to the High Court to face trial before a Judge and jury. The doctor who returned to Trinidad after attending a medical conference in South America, surrendered to San Fernando police yesterday in company with his lawyers. After having a warrant executed on him, the doctor was fingerprinted and taken before the courts to have the charge read against him.

Court prosecutor Cpl Samaroo objected to bail being granted to the accused, citing the seriousness of the offence for which the doctor is charged as well as the nature of the alleged offence. However Magistrate Deonarinesingh granted the accused $100,000 bail with a surety, transferred the matter to the First Court and adjourned the case to November 17. The doctor’s attorney yesterday was Khemraj Harrikissoon. The virtual complainant in the case was not present at yesterday’s hearing. The charges was laid against the doctor after 0Assistant Director of  Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard instructed investigating officer WPC Mc Dowell of San Fernando CID, to do so, after Gaspard perused the case file.