The two men who were charged with murdering businessman Ashok Raghoo following a robbery in the city late last year, were yesterday committed to stand trial at the High Court.
Jermain Otto, 26, of Lot 735 East Ruimveldt and Travis Mc Dougall, 25, of Lot 422 East Ruimveldt were charged with murdering Raghoo in the course or furtherance of a robbery committed on him and his wife Shayraz Raghoo of property valued $4 million at Vlissingen Road on August 18 of last year.
The court had previously heard from the prosecution that the Raghoos were driving in a car along Vlissingen Road and had stopped at a traffic light when Mc Dougall and another man rolled up on the driver’s side and one of them shot Ashok in the chest and grabbed a bag from him. Shayraz held on to the bag and was also shot. The prosecution had added that the two accused made good their escape while the Raghoos were transported to the George-town Public Hospital, where Ashok was pronounced dead on arrival.
The men were committed to stand trial at the next criminal assizes of the High Court after the conclusion of a lengthy preliminary inquiry conducted at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 2.
Magistrate Ann McLennan who presided over the matter, in handing down her ruling, informed the duo that after taking into consideration all the evidence given by the prosecution before the court, she was convinced that a prima facie case was made out against them for the capital offence.
Stabroek News had previously reported that Raghoo was shot by bandits on a CG motorcycle around 1 pm on August 18 while waiting for a traffic light to change while his wife, Shayraz Raghoo, 49, had been on the passenger side of the vehicle PGG 8291. The businessman was fatally shot in the chest while his wife sustained a wound to her right thigh.
Mc Dougall who was charged a few days before Otto was represented by Attorney Nigel Hughes while Otto was represented by George Thomas. The two men appeared visibly happy before the decision was handed down yesterday but were later escorted out of the courtroom with disappointment on their faces after the proceedings.
