A COURT heard details yesterday of the betrayal and murder of Clint Huggins by his cousins and friend for $3 million. The plot was hatched between Leslie Huggins and his uncle Joey Ramiah, less that a year before Clint Huggins was killed.

According to prosecution witness Swarsatee Maharaj, Leslie promised to kill his own cousin because Joey said Clint had collected money not to testify against Dole Chadee, but still went ahead and did so. Because of this,  Leslie said, Clint deserved to die.  He vowed to kill him and collect the $3 million. On February 20, 1996, a Carnival Tuesday, Leslie made good on that threat. He, together with his cousin Arnold Huggins and friend Junior “Heads” Phillip, murdered Clint Huggins on the Uriah Butler Highway, Mt Hope.

According to the detailed testimony of 25-year-old Maharaj, the former common-law wife of Leslie, Clint was shot twice, knocked down with the car, stabbed several times and beaten on the head. He was then placed in the back seat of the vehicle and it was set ablaze. Maharaj was testifying before Justice Alice Yorke- Soo Hon in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court where the trio is on trial for the murder. They are being represented by Ian Stuart Brook, Keith Scotland and Dawn Mohan, Osbourne Charles SC and Christlyn Moore. Prosecutors are Wayne Rajbansee and Natasha George.

 Maharaj said she, the three accused, Simon Ragoonanan and Clint were on their way to Port-of-Spain from Sangre Grande, in two cars, a Lancer and a Laurel. On reaching the Uriah Butler Highway, the cars stopped. Arnold came out from the Lancer with a gun in his hand and went to the Laurel. Clint, who was drunk in the back seat of the Laurel, came out the other side. Arnold pointed the gun at Clint and fired over the hood, hitting Clint in the head. Clint staggered, leaned into the window of the Laurel where Leslie was sitting in the driver’s seat and said: “You know what you doing boy? Forget this and let us go back home.” But this time Ragoonanan, who was driving the Lancer,  drove off and made a U-turn and came back on the opposite side of the road to where the Laurel was parked. A second shot rang out and Maharaj saw Clint running towards the Lancer with something like blood on his jersey. Leslie drove the Laurel across the median and bounced Clint with the car into a chain-link fence.

Phillip and Arnold ran towards the Laurel. Leslie came out the car and the three of them lifted Clint from in front of the Laurel and placed him in the back seat, but only Clint’s leg remained in the car and the upper body was outside on the ground. Leslie told Ragoonanan: “The man still living, come and stab him.” Leslie also told Phillip and Arnold to stab Clint. Leslie had a black handle fishing knife in his hand and he stabbed Clint in the upper region of his chest about eight times.  Leslie then returned to the Lancer and said: “ The man dead now.” Arnold took out the “music” from the Laurel and set the vehicle ablaze to make it look like a robbery. The gang then drove off at high speed back to Sangre Grande. On the way Leslie and Phillip threw their jerseys and sneakers out the window.  Back at home they also dumped their jeans in the latrine.

Clint, who was a  State witness against Chadee and his gang for murder, was being kept in a safe house at Teteron Barracks but he frequently ran away from the safe house and visited his cousin and others in Sangre Grande. Joey Ramiah, who knew of Clint’s frequent visits, suggested to Leslie to kill Clint. He said Chadee will pay him $3 million. Leslie’s plan was to do the job and bury the money in his back yard. However, when Clint made his Carnival Sunday surprise visit, Leslie had no gun so he had to find one. He and Ragoonanan discussed the matter and  recalled that Arnold, who lives at Matura, had a gun. It was decided that Leslie would visit Arnold. Clint, Maharaj and a man called “Sharky” were doing a lot of “partying.”. On Carnival Monday night while they were in Sangre Grande, Arnold was supposed to shoot Clint in the crowd but things did not go according to plan. 

Maharaj told the jury that she and Leslie walked to Market Street where she saw Arnold standing alone between two vegetable stalls. “Leslie told me that Arnold was going to shoot Clint in the crowd tonight,” she said.  Shortly after Phillip told Leslie:”It cannot be done tonight, there is too much people.” Maharaj understood that to mean they could not kill Clint. Back at Leslie’s Mulchan Road home, after killing Clint, the gang concocted a story to tell the police. They were to say that Clint borrowed the Laurel to buy a packet of cigarettes and never returned. To make that story more believable, Leslie ordered Maharaj to call Clint on his pager and leave a message inquiring about the whereabouts of the car. Maharaj said Leslie told her that she had to stick to that story otherwise he would kill her just like he killed Clint. She said she did as she was told because she knew what Leslie was capable of doing.

Brook, who represents Arnold, was the first attorney to cross-examine Maharaj yesterday. He wanted to know among other things why she did not warn Clint that Leslie wanted to kill him. Her reply was that they were cousins and she was afraid Clint would have told Leslie and harm could have come to her. She was also afraid of trying to dissuade Leslie from killing Clint for the same reason.

MELVIN ZWAIG, head of a Canada-based forensic and investigative consulting firm, heaped praises on local police officers yesterday for their methods of investigations. Zwaig said he was pleased to see the high level approach to investigations and dedication to duty of police officers in this country.

Zwaig Consulting was contracted by Government to provide training on investigations into all aspects of financial wrongdoings. Police officers and specially selected employees of the Auditor General’s Office and the Special Security and Facilities Management Unit of the Ministry of the Attorney General, who were exposed to the training, were presented with certificates at the end of the three day-training yesterday. Participants were exposed to the base level of forensic accounting and investigation of all aspects of financial wrongdoings. They were also given first hand information on improving their oral and written skills in reporting findings to superiors, other law enforcement agencies, prosecuting attorneys as well as testifying in the courts. Participants also received training on increasing the understanding and comfort level of the relevant agencies with respect to financial accounting and reporting.

Police Commissioner Hilton Guy said he was grateful that the Office of the Attorney General recognised the need for training and put things in place to ensure that it took place. He added that change is inevitable and the police must recognise that they must be exposed to training to assist them in their work.“You either update your skills, or you become irrelevant in the society in which you live,” said the Commissioner. Guy said he was heartened to learn that more training sessions are being organised. Attorney General Glenda Morean, who also delivered brief remarks at the function, said she recognised that in the past not much effort was placed on enforcement and efforts are being made to ensure that training is available. The AG said she believes the training improves the application of strategic and tactical techniques to enhance the effectiveness of investigations.

INDEPENDENT Senator Professor Kenneth Ramchand said yesterday he was surprised that instead of replying to the petitioners, Prime Minister Patrick Manning chose to speak to one of the persons who signed.

He was responding to statements from the Prime Minister that he had spoken with one of the petitioners who said he was satisfied with the Prime Minister’s explanation and recanted. However, Ramchand said yesterday that “from the newspaper reports, what I read the Prime Minister to be saying is that he offered an explanation to the petitioner and the petitioner was satisfied with the explanation and the petitioner also said that if he/she had had that explanation before the petition, he/she would not have signed”. “(According to the Prime Minister) the petitioner also said that it was his opinion that if the rest of the petitioners were to be given that explanation they would withdraw the petition,” Ramchand noted. “In our letter to the Prime Minister we suggested to him that we wanted to talk. “If the Prime Minister really has additional evidence or arguments that are likely to persuade us, we are not irrational people. And therefore he should speak to us. “I await an invitation to a meeting in response to the petition,” he said.

Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negoti-ating Machinery (CRNM) Dr Richard Bernal said the Caribbean Single Market and Economy is in danger of slipping behind regional free trade negotiations.

Bernal was speaking after a meeting between Canadian International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Caricom Trade Ministers on Monday. He said the Caricom Single Market and Economy is supposed to help the region prepare for regional and international free trade agreements. It should also serve as a base to build a negotiating position. “What is happening now is that the external agenda is moving so quickly that we are being faced with issues in the external negotiation that we have not yet resolved in the single market,” he said. “What it means is that the single market process must not slip in terms of implementation. It should actually be speeded up.”

At Monday’s meeting the two sides discussed the possibility of a trade agreement to, in Trade Minister Ken Valley’s words, “lock in” the duty-free access some Caricom goods now enjoy. The new agreement will be two-way but both Valley and Pettigrew noted the need for special and differential treatment for less developed economies in the region. Bernal said special treatment must have a place in all free trade talks. “There is no absolute free trade,” he said.  “What we are talking about are agreements which liberalise trade. “Yes, in broad principle this is about reciprocal trade but we are always careful to add the caveat of special and differential treatment for small developing countries, particularly the OECS countries.” Bernal added, though, that the private sector in Caricom must take the opportunity to prepare for the increased competition the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) will bring.

DEPUTY House Speaker Hedwidge Bereaux had to use his casting vote yesterday to save Government from being defeated on the simple issue of the one-week deferral of two questions, one written and the other for oral answer.

The questions, from UNC Caroni East MP Ganga Singh, dealt with whether any legal matters were settled by WASA between December 2001 and January 2003, and the monthly expenditure and revenue for the same period. At the start of the session, Acting Leader of Government Business Colm Imbert announced that the questions would be deferred for one week. However Singh argued that his questions had been on the Order Paper for over three weeks and had been continuously deferred. Deputy Speaker Bereaux put the question to the members for the one week deferral and got a resounding “no” from the Opposition benches with “ayes” from the Government benches.

The Opposition called for a division and at the end of the tally there was a 14-14 result. Bereaux used his casting vote to “maintain the status quo”, a comment which drew laughter from the Opposition MPs. Moments later UNC MP Winston Dookeran walked in followed by PNM MP Diane Seukeran. But before the House could get down to the business of debating the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations 2003, Leader of Govern-ment Business, Kenneth Valley, who arrived late for the sitting, requested a five-minute break to consult with his colleagues. Bereaux suspended the sitting for ten minutes.

Pointe-a-Pierre MP Gillian Lucky, in her contribution to the debate which eventually got going, spoke about the legal implications of the Act. She said in typical fashion Government had not held consultations on the Act. She said Govern-ment was acting on the mistaken belief that stiffer penalties would make enforcement easier, but resources had to be made available to the police to ensure compliance. Referring to the Minister of Works, Franklyn Khan’s claim that magistrates were reluctant to prosecute because there were no specific offences under specific regulations, Lucky said magistrates who were already traumatised by their impending move to Trinidad House, will be further traumatised by having to decide on two competing penalties. She said serious problems would be caused if the regulations were affirmed.

Lucky urged Khan to find a justification for the Act and not treat the Opposition the way Government has been treating the Chief Justice and Caroni workers. Lucky also warned government to not only look at the “integrity of vehicles” but at the “integrity” of the persons who drive them. She referred to Khan’s decision to give a PBR pass to Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr, saying public opinion was that the decision was not a good one.

TRINIDAD HOUSE is a likely site for the new Magistrates’ Courts. The Parliament Chamber will probably become a museum, while Whitehall will be turned into an entertainment centre.

Far from reconsidering his decision, Prime Minister Patrick Manning was amplifying on his city centre plans at the post-Cabinet news briefing at Whitehall yesterday. Manning said while Government was still looking at alternative sites for the Magistrates’ Court, (which would be displaced by the new Parliament building), one possible option was  Trinidad House. He said this building, which is itself historic, was “far more adequate to the task” than the current location on St Vincent Street Manning said Trinidad House had its own short street — Treasury Street — which was “easier to embark and disembark prisoners, as opposed to what takes place on the more congested St Vincent Sreet.”

Manning also said it was very likely that Government would turn the Parliament Chamber into a museum and convert Whitehall into an entertainment centre (for government and Prime Ministerial entertainment). The plan for Whitehall would also involve having its staff dressed in clothes reflecting the different periods of the country’s history. While the Parliament Chamber would become a museum, the rest of the Red House was still earmarked for the Office of the Prime Minister, Manning confirmed.

The Prime Minister, who admitted that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Barry Sinanan, was not consulted before Government announced its decision to relocate the Parliament,  said the leader of Government Business  would be speaking with Sinanan when he returns to Trinidad and Tobago. Sinanan, who left Trinidad and Tobago on Carnival Monday, returns today. Manning said Government was listening to all the comments being made on the issue but as of now, it heard nothing to make it reconsider its decision. Manning conceded that the question of the relocation of Parliament was not in the PNM manifesto. Asked why in the face of this, there was no public consultation, Manning reiterated that Government’s plan was in keeping with historical use of the Red House as the seat of governance.

Manning said there was no intention to demolish the Red House or the Magistrates’ Courts. Manning said the problem was not the Parliament, but the chamber which is too small and which cannot be adjusted without destroying its architectural beauty “which would be the real travesty”. On the petition presented by 46 distinguished citizens headed by former First Lady Zalayhar Hassanali, Manning said he had spoken to one of the persons who signed the petition and “after I explained a point of view, the people’s comment to me was ‘I did not realise that when I signed. Perhaps you ought to publicise this more comprehensively and if you do it is entirely possible that you could convince all 50 persons as you have convinced me’. Manning added that he had some of this “in writing”.

Valley said the relocation of the Parliament was not an issue. “In Trinidad we like to look for issues,” he said. He said Cabinet had asked UDeCOTT to come up with a plan and consult with the both Houses of Parliament.  “It is not as though one is going to break down buildings tomorrow and put up an edifice,” he said. Valley said Government might have a particular view but there would be consultation. When asked if this meant that the plan was not cast in concrete, Manning said it was indeed cast in concrete.

WITH a possible crisis looming between the Executive and the Judiciary over the relocating of the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court, Chief Justice Sat Sharma said last night that there is no one to speak for the Judiciary.

Sharma said the Attorney General (a political appointee) is the conduit between the Executive and the Judiciary. “But with a conflict of interest looming over this matter, who is really going to stand up for the judiciary in the Cabinet? There is no one to speak for the Judiciary…we stand alone,” the Chief Justice added. Sharma said the announcement by the Prime Minister yesterday that the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court may be relocated to the old Trinidad House building, made the situation worse.

When Dr Lenny Saith first announced that the Government was moving Parliament from the Red House to the block housing the lower courts, he found there was a discourtesy, that no consultation had taken place to inform the Judiciary of the move. “Now, the executive has gone ahead again, and announced that the courts will be moving to Trinidad House. Again….no courtesy, no consultation,” he added. Sharma continued, “If they (the executive) had consulted the Judiciary and disagreed with our comments or recommendations, then the decision is theirs to make. I am aware of the mighty powers of the executive, but there has been no consultation. “They are moving the courts from Point A to Point B…a fait accompli, I have no say, it would seem.”

The Chief Justice added, “I am not central or pivotal to the decision-making process. Where a party is going to be affected by a decision, the party making the decision must consult with that party who is going to be affected. But they have ignored the Chief Justice, who is in charge of the administration of justice.” Sharma agreed that the decision is one for the Government to make, but at least, they had a duty to consult. “It is a fundamental principle in law. I recognise that it is not mine to make, but hear my views, even if you are going to reject them.” Sharma said with this conflict of interest taking place, it has become even more important for the executive to consult with the judiciary over this matter. Sharma said that since the announcement on February 27, no one has consulted or met with him.

Government has spent more than $38 million to refurbish the old Magistrates’ Court building and to erect a new wing for the magistracy. That new wing is yet to be opened as there was a rift between the then Attorney General and the former Chief Justice over this building. Attorney General Glenda Morean-Phillip, during a tour of the new wing last month, indicated that it will be ready for occupation soon. Government will have to spend millions more to refurbish the Trinidad House building to accommodate the courts.

The bloodstained clothing he wore, a blue bed sheet, samples of blood taken from the beach house, and the two lead bullets recovered from the body of Hansraj Sumairsingh were displayed for the jury yesterday as the murder trial of former local government minister, Dhanraj Singh, continued  in the San Fernando First Criminal Court before Justice Melville Baird.

The items were put into evidence during the testimony of Sgt Fitzgerald George, the police officer who investigated the murder and charged Singh. After hearing George’s evidence in chief, legal arguments followed after which it was subsequently agreed to have the judge’s ruling on the arguments, and also, to accommodate lead counsel for the defence, Karl Hudson-Phillips QC, further hearing of the trial was adjourned to Monday morning. Hudson-Phillips was due in last evening from The Hague via London. It would also give him time to ‘catch up’ and be prepared to cross-examine witnesses from Monday. Dhanraj Singh is accused of the murder of Hansraj Sumairsingh, then chairman of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation, at Sumairsingh’s beach house in Mayaro on the evening of December 31, 1999. Sgt George was the only witness to testify yesterday. He told the court he was currently attached to the Homicide Bureau of Investigation, based at the Police Administration building in San Fernando.

In December, 1999 he was based at the Rio Claro Police Station. In his evidence in chief Sgt George told the court that on December 31, 1999, he was on duty at the Rio Claro Police Station. Sometime around 4 pm that day he received a report by telephone from Police constable Kirk Jackson from the Mayaro Police Station. As a result of the report George told the court, “I went to Eccles Road, Gran Lagoon, Mayaro, where I met PC Jackson and accompanied him to the beach house of Hansraj Sumairsingh. “I had a conversation with Jackson and entered the premises. I observed blood on a blue Mazda car which was parked on the western side of the house. I entered the downstairs of the apartment through a door on the western side of the house. “I first entered the kitchen area, and among the things I saw were a pair of spectacles and slippers on the floor. “I entered the living room area and observed the body of the deceased, Hansraj Sumairsingh in a seated position in what appeared to be a pool of blood. The pair of rubber slippers was on the floor. There was a fridge with the door open; water was splashed on the ground, and there were signs of blood on the walls of the kitchen area.” Witness recalled seeing Sumairsingh’s body seated with its back to the wall. He was dressed in a somewhat white T-shirt and coloured shorts. He was motionless and appeared to be dead.

George said he then carried out a check in the house. In a bedroom on the eastern side he saw stains resembling blood on the floor and walls of the bedroom. “I also saw what resembled bloodstains on a clear piece of plastic in the said bedroom.  I also observed a handprint from what appeared to be bloodstains on the door leading to the said bedroom.”
George continued; “I then spoke to Sgt Alexander, the official police photographer, and on my instructions he took a number of photographs. I then spoke with the medical officer, Dr Mohammed who examined the body and pronounced him dead and ordered its removal.”
George said he later took scrapings of the stains resembling blood in the bedroom and placed them in a box which he marked. Around that time, he said, it was about 7 pm. George said he also took scrapings of stains resembling blood from the kitchen area and also placed them in a box which he also marked. He then took a cotton swab sample of stains resembling blood and placed them in a transparent plastic bag and marked it. He took the swab sample from the floor of the bedroom. He also took a cotton swab sample of the stain resembling blood from under where the deceased was sitting, and placed it in another clear plastic bag and marked it.

George said he then took three transparent plastic bags on which he placed markings, and continued his inquiries into the report. Witness said he interviewed persons and recorded statements. He also spoke to a police corporal, a fingerprint expert, who checked the blue car for prints. On Sunday January 2, 2000, he accompanied one Motilal Rookmin to the office of the Rio Claro Regional Corporation, where he went to the office of the deceased Hansraj Sumairsingh and checked the drawers of Sumairsingh’s desk in that office. George told the court: “I took possession of a number of documents. Among those documents was a letter addressed to the then honourable prime minister, Basdeo Panday. It was dated December 8, 1999. The letterhead read Councillor Hansraj Sumairsingh, Mayaro Regional Corporation.

“I continued inquiries on Monday, January 3, 2000. I went to the Sangre Grande hospital mortuary where I met Sgt Alexander, and he handed over the body of the deceased to me. The body was taken, and I escorted it to the Forensic Sciences Centre. There I met Dr Hughvon des Vignes. I had a conversation with him. I then introduced him to Visham Singh and another relative, one Roopnarine. Both men identified the body to the pathologist.
“The doctor performed a post mortem on the body in my presence. During the post mortem I saw the doctor remove two lead particles from the body and placed markings to the base of those particles. He then placed them in a clear plastic container which he sealed. Dr des Vignes also removed samples of blood from the body and placed them in a clear plastic container which he also labelled and sealed.
“He also took the white T-shirt which the deceased was wearing, placed it in a black plastic bag and marked it.

“I later went to the receiving counter of the Forensic Sciences Centre where I met Mr Emanuel Walker. I handed him the containers of blood samples. I then met Mr Neil clapperton, a scientific officer and handed him the two lead particles in the marked container.
“I then met Miss Allette Lewis, another scientific officer and handed her the black plastic bag with the T-shirt and she numbered it. I also gave Mr Emanuel Walker the clear plastic bags with the scrapings of stains taken from the house, as well as two cotton swabs of the stains resembling blood taken from Hansraj Sumairsingh’s body, which I had marked. Mr Walker numbered these exhibits.
“Sometime during my inquiries I also removed stains resembling blood from a handprint on the door of the kitchen at the beach house. I placed the scrapings in four pill boxes and marked them.

“I returned to the Forensic Sciences Centre and handed them to Mr Emanuel Walker, and he numbered it. I also met Miss Lewis and handed her three plastic boxes containing soil samples taken from the beach house, and she marked them.
“Sometime later I returned to the Forensic Sciences Centre where I received certificates of analysis on the various exhibits.
“I continued my inquiries, and on Friday, January 7, 2000 I had a conversation with Senior Supt Randolph James, and he gave me a black Startac Motorola cellphone, and told me something. I examined the cellphone and saw it carried a serial number. Having seen the number I formed an opinion and went to the Mayaro Regional Corporation where I met and spoke to the Chief Executive Officer, David Gene. He examined the cellphone and he told me something in respect of it.
“I later interviewed Terry Chaitan and he told me something, and he took me to a river bridge. He pointed out the area to me and showed me a boat. Sgt Alexander took photographs of the area and the boat.
“Later, I visited the office of Mr Chandresh Sharma and there I met Mr Dhanraj Singh. I identified myself to him. I also told him I was investigating the circumstances of the death of Mr Sumairsingh.”

PROSECUTING COUNSEL, DEVAN RAMPERSAD: You told him you were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Sumairsingh ? — Yes.
And that his body was recovered on December 31, 1999? — Yes.
RAMPERSAD: Did you caution the accused ?
GEORGE: Yes sir. I told him ‘you are not obliged to say anything, but whatever you say may be taken down in writing and given in evidence’. I also informed him of his constitutional rights and privileges. He was in company at the time with three attorneys.

Justice Melville Baird, through Counsel Rampersad, asked that the witness speak at a slower pace for the benefit of the jury.
RAMPERSAD: Having cautioned him and advised him of his rights what did he say ?
GEORGE: After posing a few questions to the accused of the letter read to me, he asked for a private conversation with his attorneys.  After the conversation he indicated he was advised not to answer any questions. Questions were still posed to the accused and he made no reply. I then informed the accused that there was a search warrant to search his premises for firearms and ammunition, and I would like him to accompany the police on this search. He said he would not accompany the police.
Witness said he then spoke to Sgt Victor who was in possession of the search warrant. “He later spoke to me in respect of the search of the accused premises.”
George continued: “ I continued inquiries into this report, and on February 17, 2001 I had a conversation with Inspector Nedd of the Homicide Bureau in Port-of-Spain.”
RAMPERSAD: During the course of your inquiries you said you spoke to Terry Chaitan ? — Yes.
GEORGE: On February 17, I had a conversation with Mr Nedd who gave me a statement he had recorded from Elliot Hypolite at the Golden Grove Prison on February 16, 2001.
“As a result of  my conversation with Mr Nedd, and having read the statement on Monday, February 19, 2001, I swore to information and obtained a warrant to search the accused’s premises at Williamsville.
“Around 6.20 am that day I went to the home of the accused accompanied by other officers. I called the accused and he came to the gate. Other police officers were present, and like me they identified themselves in similar manner.
“I told the accused I was in possession of a warrant to search his premises for firearms and ammunition. I showed him the warrant and read it aloud to him. The accused invited me to search his premises. I further told the accused….”
RAMPERSAD: During the search you informed the accused you had further evidence, and told him he was a suspect and cautioned him ?
GEORGE: Yes, and I also told him of his rights and privileges. He requested that he speak with his attorney, Mr Shastri Parsad. He spoke on the telephone to someone, and then told me he was not answering any question. I took the accused to Homicide Office in Port-of-Spain.
“Sometime later, I conducted an interview with the accused after cautioning him, and again indicated to him of his rights.  The accused denied any involvement in the death of Hansraj Sumairsingh.  I continued inquiries in relation to instructions, and I charged the accused with this offence.
RAMPERSAD: How would you be able to recognise these certificates of the exhibits ?
GEORGE: They were signed by the scientific officers, and I placed my initials to the back of those certificates.

At this juncture, defence counsel, Ravi Rajcoomar indicated to the judge that the defence had no objections to the admission of the certificates. The witness was then shown the certificates of the analyses, and he identified each one. The exhibits included the blood samples, the lead particles, the shirt recovered from the body of Sumairsingh, the blue sheet found on the bed at the beach house, and other items. The witness also identified the black Startac Motorola cellphone which had the serial number – EAF51677 handed over to him by Senior Supt Randolph James. At the request of Counsel Rampersad, the morning break which was scheduled from 10 am to 10.30 am, with the jury out of court. the time was taken up with legal arguments by lead prosecuting counsel, Sir Timothy Cassel.

Defence counsel Rajcoomar had also indicated that they intended to reserve the cross-examination of the complainant, Sgt George, for lead defence counsel, Karl Hudson-Phillips.
Later, the jury was brought back into the courtroom and advised that the trial had been adjourned to 9 am Monday. Like the other exhibits the search warrants were also identified and admitted into evidence.