‘Balo’ Maharaj Murder Inquiry

THE PRELIMINARY inquiry into the murder of United States war veteran Balram “Balo” Maharaj finally started yesterday. Three witnesses testified for the prosecution — police photographers’ PC Nigel Bedeau and PC Che Duprey along with police draughtsman Cpl Gregory Hood.

Bedeau was the first witness before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court. During his testimony, Bedeau tendered 38 photographs into evidence. He was later cross-examined by defence attorneys Theodore Guerra SC and Evans Welch.

Hood was the next witness. He tendered into evidence a drawing showing areas from Grand Curacaye Road in Santa Cruz to El Socorro. The third witness was Duprey who tendered five photographs into evidence.

When the three witnesses completed giving evidence, lead prosecutor Israel Khan SC indicated that Nigel Stephens, the police audio visual officer, would be the next witness. He said Stephens would be producing a video recording.

Khan said he wanted to know if there were going to be objections to the showing of the video recording. But Mc Nicolls said the court has to see the video first before the question of objections could arise. The case was then put off to June 12.

Doreen Alexander Durity, Anderson Straker, Corporal Ricardo Stevenson, Kevon Nixon, and Wayne and Kenneth Pierre, are charged with Maharaj’s murder. Maharaj, 62, was kidnapped outside Samaan Tree Bar in El Socorro, on April 5, 2005. His remains were found in the Santa Cruz forest on January 8 this year.