A Corentyne youth was yesterday cleared of the murders of two Bush Lot farmers, who were fatally shot during a robbery at their mother’s house on the evening of December 31st, 2018.
Kheran Romeo Jeenarine, of Lot 439 Bush Lot Village, was charged with the murders of Premcharran Samaroo, called ‘Tullie,’ and Harricharran Samaroo, called ‘Davo,’ in the course or furtherance of a robbery at Lot 446 Bush Lot Village, Corentyne.
However, Magistrate Renita Singh yesterday freed Jeenarine at the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry into the charge against him at the Whim Magistrate’s Court as she found that there was no evidence to warrant him facing a High Court trial.
The prosecution was represented by Inspector Althea Soloman, while Jeenarine was represented by attorney Charlyn Artiga.
The prosecution’s case fell through after a caution statement, purportedly given by Jeenarine, was thrown out since Magistrate Singh ruled that based on evidence provided it was not his signature affixed to the statement.
Police had claimed that the accused confessed to the crime and it was largely on that basis that he was charged. However, evidence presented in court supported the defence’s claim that the accused could not spell his name and could not have written his signature. Prison records were also presented in court so as to further confirm that the accused used his thumb print instead of a signature on the records.
After the prosecution did not have any other witnesses to call other than the detective who claimed to have taken the statement, they were forced to close the case, resulting in the magistrate having to rule.
The Samaroos were both shot after they rushed to their mother’s backyard to investigate sounds of a gunshot. Premcharran was shot multiple times in the head and face, while Harricharran was also beaten.
While Premcharran died on the spot, Harricharran was rushed to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where he succumbed just after midnight.
Their mother, Irene Samaroo, 60, had stated that her sons were having a drink with her cousin, Munnilall Robert Kumar, who had arrived in the country the day before, when three attackers invaded their home.
The woman had said that the home invaders were all masked. She said two were armed with guns, while the third carried a cutlass. They bandits, who also broadsided her cousin Kumar, escaped with less than $80,000 in local and US currency.
Police were on the hunt for Jeenarine after it was reported that he was drinking with the victims shortly before they were killed. However, persons from the area, including a close relative of the victims, had claimed that the youth left the house to head to the supermarket to purchase some items.
Another brother of the victims, who was also drinking at the location, had also told Stabroek News that he had left his mother’s house minutes after Jeenarine to head to the supermarket to check on the accused and confirmed to this publication that he saw the youth at the supermarket.
Jeenarine had turned himself over to police at the Whim Police Station in the presence of his attorney after a wanted bulletin was issued for him and another accused, Kelvin Shivgobin, 32, of Belvedere Village, Corentyne, after the murders.
Shivgobin, who was wanted for several other crimes, was later shot and killed by police at the Blackbush Polder backlands.
At Jeenarine’s arraignment, Artiga had referenced the existence of CCTV footage that proved her client’s innocence.
Stabroek News had seen video footage of Jeenarine at a supermarket in Bush Lot, Corentyne at the time of the fatal robbery.
Meanwhile, relatives of Jeenarine had also issued claims that he was being framed since there was pressure on the police to nab a suspect for the murders.
They had also alleged that the detective investigating the murders had approached them for a sum of cash to release the youth but after they refused the request he was charged with the murders.
The detective was linked to a corruption racket within the division and also to an alleged plot to kill a fellow officer. However, he is yet to be held accountable for any of his alleged actions.
