Berbice defence attorney Mursulene Bacchus was jointly charged yesterday with fish vendor Chandra Lakha Ramdass with conspiracy to obstruct the course of justice.
Bacchus appeared before Magistrate Krishndat Persaud at the Number 51 Court along with Ramdass and they were not required to plead to the indictable charge.
The 67-year-old attorney of Lot 90 Sheet Anchor, East Canje, was represented by Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford and another attorney Perry Gossai, while Ramdass, 59, of lot 183 Hampshire Village, Coren-tyne, was represented by attorney Adrian Anamayah.
In a bail application, attorneys for Bacchus requested that their client be sent on his own recognizance as he is a well known person. Police Sergeant Michael Grant, prosecuting, did not object to the granting of bail but requested that it be in a substantial sum as the offence is a serious one.
The charge against the duo stemmed from an allegation that the defendants induced Annette Samaroo, the spouse of a murder victim, to give contradictory evidence at the Preliminary Inquiry.
According to reports during the Preliminary Inquiry into the murder of Gary Simon, in which Abousalm Azimulla, Gansnam Jagassar and Devendra Harrichand were charged for the offence of murder at the Albion Magistrate Court, Samaroo’s testimony on October 25, 2005 was inconsistent with her statement which was given to the Police Detective Sergeant Mc Cammon on December 19, 2004 and as a result she was deemed a hostile witness by the lower court. Meanwhile the case involving Azimulla, Jagassar and Harrichand is listed for trial during the current session of the Berbice Assizes.
