Caroni four freed

A WOUNDING with intent charge against four Caroni relatives was yesterday dismissed when the State conceded it could not proceed with the case because of evidential inconsistencies.

Rajesh Ramkalawan, Ramsa-roop Ramkalawan, Rajpatie Ramkalawan and Zelukah Mohandally, all of Caroni Lands, Carson Field were jointly charged with wounding another relative Nathan Ramoutar.

Ramoutar alleged that his cousin, uncle and two aunts beat him with a cutlass, a garden fork and a piece of iron during a dispute at their home on January 3, 2003. The four were being tried before Justice Ian Stuart Brook at the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court.

During yesterday’s hearing, prosecutor Jeron Joseph indicated to the court that the State wished to discontinue the case, since it could not reconcile all the facts of the evidence led during the trial. Joseph said there were just too many inconsistencies.

Brook directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict and commended Joseph for his competence as a minister of justice. The four were represented by attorneys Ulric Skerritt, Celeste Jules, Michelle Solomon and Ricky Rahim. Attorney Alexander Prince ap-peared with Joseph for the State.