Two men accused of kidnapping Maraval vet appear in court

Two men who appeared before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate yesterday charged with kidnapping a Maraval vet who was snatched from his workplace last week, were denied bail and remanded into custody. Appearing before Magistrate Ejenny Espinet were 25-year-old Akiba Buntin of Romain Lands, Morvant and 34-year-old Robert Rosales of  La Sieva Road, Maraval. Both men were arrested on Sunday by Sgt Creighton Hudson of the Port-of-Spain CID. As the men stood before Magistrate Espinet in the Port-of-Spain First Court, the details of the charge were read to them.

The charges read that both men and other persons, on March 1, 2005 at La Sieva Road, Maraval unlawfully took away Azizmul Rahaman. The other charge read that both men, on the same date, falsely imprisoned Rahaman at Romain Lands, Morvant. The charges were laid indictably. The 63-year-old vet was snatched from his animal clinic last Tuesday by two men posing as customers. Last Friday night, Rahaman was released in the Morvant area.

Attorney Roland Powell, who represented Rosales, applied for bail for his client, telling the magistrate his client did not have any previous convictions. “My client is a mason, and a father of three, ranging in ages one to 14. He does not have any previous convictions nor does he have any pending matters,” Powell told the magistrate. In response to the application police prosecutor Sgt Claudette Bynoe objected to bail, informing the magistrate that the men had not yet been traced. Tracings should be ready today, according to Sgt Bynoe. Following Sgt Bynoe’s information, the magistrate remanded both men into custody, and advised them of their right to apply to a judge in chambers for bail. Both men will reappear today in court.