Kidnapping of us war veteran

A TAXI-DRIVER was yesterday extradited to Washington DC to face trial for taking US war veteran Balram “Balo” Maharaj hostage. Winston Gittens, 38, left Trinidad on American Airlines flight 1818 bound for Miami.

In Miami, he was taken aboard another flight to Washington DC. He was accompanied to the United States by two agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Earlier this week, Gittens appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court charged with conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death, and hostage taking resulting in death.

Gittens, of La Fortune Trace, Laventille Road in San Juan, was arrested by Sgt Wendell Williams of the local Interpol branch, who later served him with a copy of the provisional warrant for his arrest on the US charges. Gittens was the second Trinidadian to be extradited to Washington this week to face the Grand Jury indictment. On Tuesday, truck driver Russell “Saucy” Joseph was extradited on the same charges.

Gittens and Joseph are two of eight persons wanted by the US for the kidnapping of Maharaj. Five others were served with provisional warrants two weeks ago — David Suchit, Zion Clarke, Private Ricardo De Four, Sgt Leon Nurse and Kevon Demerieux. Their cases were adjourned to May 25. The US Grand Jury indicted the eight three weeks ago in Washington DC.

Maharaj, 62, of Mount Vernon, New York, was kidnapped outside the Samaan Tree Bar, Aranjuez, on April 5, 2005, and a $3 million ransom demanded. His remains were found in two barrels inside the Santa Cruz forest on January 9 this year. To date, ten persons including three soldiers have been charged with Maharaj’s murder.