A supervisor of the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/Agricultural-Development-Authority (MMA/ADA) was yesterday charged with causing the death of a labourer through dangerous driving.
Nandlall Sewkumar 52, supervisor of MMA ADA and of Waterloo, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, was not required to plea to the indictable charge when he appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.
He was charged with causing the death of Bath Settlement labourer Dianand Singh, who was struck by a Toyota 4Runner
on Sunday evening. The charge was instituted a day after Sewkumar pleaded guilty at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court to failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to render assistance, for which he was fined $55,000 in total.
The dangerous driving charge stated that on November 17, on the Bath Settlement Public Road West Coast Berbice, Sewkumar drove PHH 9161 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing death of Singh.
According to police prosecutor Sergeant Phillip Sherriff, the accused failed to stop after the accident and did not report the accident after it occurred. He stated officers went to the accused’s home but he was not at home on the day in question. He added that on the following morning the accused turned up along with the vehicle at the station. He sought substantial bail if the court was inclined to grant Sewkumar his pre-trial release.
Sewkumar’s attorney, Joel Persid-Edmond, told the court in his application for bail that the accused was in police custody for 72 hours during which his condition deteriorated. He told the court that his client is not at flight risk since he is the father of three children.
During Sewkumar’s appearance before Magistrate Rhondel Weaver at the Fort Wellington Court on Thursday, Persid-Edmond said his client had been in shock after the accident but went to the station eight hours later. As a result of the accident, he said Sewkumar had suffered a trauma and was hospitalised up to Wednesday.
Before he was fined, Sewkumar told the court he was very sorry for what happened.
The dangerous driving proceedings are due for continuation at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court on November 26.
