The case against the Venezuelan man charged with the abduction of the wife and daughter of US wanted man, Barry Datram, was dismissed yesterday for want of prosecution.
Jesus Ortega Manrique of Bolivar, Venezuela had the charge against him dismissed at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court after his lawyer, Glen Hanoman asked that the case against him be dismissed because it was the eighth time that the matter had been called and there was no witness.
Hanoman submitted that he believed that the Datrams were hiding from the police.
Police Prosecutor Ramsahoye Rambajue in response told the court that the Virtual Complainant cannot be located though three radio messages had been sent for her and other witnesses. None was present yesterday. Since Manrique had first appeared in court in December last year no evidence had been taken. After listening to both sides Magistrate Fazil Azeez dismissed the case for want of prosecution.
It was alleged that on December 8, 2007 at Ruimzeight, West Coast Demerara, Manrique abducted Sheleza Datram and Keana Datram with intent to cause the said Sheleza and Keana Datram to be secretly or wrongfully confined. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Stabroek News understands that Sheliza had given her address as Ruimzeight Gardens but the family no longer resides there.
It had been reported that Sheleza and her daughter were kidnapped by two men on the said date. Police had said in a statement that around midday on December 8, Sheleza’s husband Barry reported to them that about 2 am the said day as he was about to enter his home two masked men armed with a rifle and a handgun held him at gunpoint and forced him into the building. The two armed men tied him up and allegedly demanded cash and jewellery and his wife handed over US$16,000, $800,000 and jewellery to the value of $40,000. The men then took his wife and their three-year-old daughter and escaped in his motor car after telling him that they would call him later for more money. Police later responded to a tip-off and engaged the men and during a shoot-out, a man identified as Raul Antonio Munoz Centeno of Venezuela based upon documents found on him, was killed. Manrique was captured during the shoot-out. He was later placed before the court.
It was not the first time that he had appeared in a local court. In November last year at the Georgetown Magi-strate’s Court, he had pleaded guilty to a charge of illegal entry and was fined $25,000 with an alternative of six weeks imprisonment by Magistrate Oneidge Walrond-Allicock, who also ordered that he be deported. His presence in Guyana was discovered when police, who were conducting raids around Georgetown, acting on information received went to a home at Duncan Street and arrested him. Less than a month later, he was charged with abduction.
Barry Datram is wanted by the United States for allegedly conspiring to import over five kilos of cocaine into that country. He was granted bail by the High Court but disappeared and has not been reporting to the police and a wanted bulletin had been issued for him.
