‘Balo’ Maharaj PI

"Story taken from our COURT" section."

FOR 68 minutes yesterday, a stunned courtroom looked at two video recordings of the discovery of the remains of US war veteran Balram “Balo” Maharaj. The courtroom was packed to capacity during the Preliminary Inquiry.

The dock was filled with the six murder accused. The bar table was also packed with lawyers and law students. The public gallery was overflowing with relatives and friends of the accused, as well as persons there for other murder cases. Police officers crowded into the prisoners’ entrance as word spread that a video recording was about to be shown.

When the Maharaj case was last called on June 2, lead prosecutor Israel Khan SC indicated the next witness was going to be PC Nigel Stephen, the audio visual technician in the Police Service.

Khan said Stephen was going to introduce two video recordings showing the discovery of Maharaj’s remains. He wanted to know if the defence had any objections. He said the defence was given copies of the video recordings.

But Theodore Guerra SC, who represents two of the accused, said he was going to wait and see what was contained in the recordings. Yesterday, the six accused: Doreen Alexander-Durity, Anderson Straker, Cpl Ricardo Stevenson, Kevon Nixon and brothers Wayne and Kenneth Pierre, appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court.

Khan and State attorney Jennifer Martin appeared for the State, but some of the defence lawyers were absent. PC Stephen was then called. He has been with the audio visual unit of the Police Service for eight years. He gave his evidence before he produced two video recordings.

Guerra objected to the second tape being tendered because it had no relevance to the first. Mc Nicolls overruled the submission. Khan then sought to have the recordings tendered into evidence. Again Guerra objected, but they were admitted into evidence.

A television set was mounted in the court room and all eyes were now on PC Stephen. The first recording taken at Grand Curacaye in Santa Cruz, was played. There was stony silence in the courtroom. The six accused and even other prisoners in the holding cage were glued to the television set. During the viewing of this tape, anybody could have heard a pin drop.

The viewing of the first tape was completed in 46 minutes. PC Stephen rolled the second tape right away. This tape was recorded at the Forensic Science Centre, Federation Park.

This tape brought more interest. But it was too much for a woman to bear. She rushed out of the court and threw up in the bathroom area. Defence attorney Evans Welch, who kept looking away from the television set, disappeared from the court for a short time. This tape, which lasted 22 minutes, ended on the stroke of lunch.

When the second recording was shown, there was a murmur around the court room. Only Guerra stood up and asked PC Stephen a few questions. It was all agreed that the inquiry would resume on June 26.