The two men accused of being responsible for the 2018 pirate attack which left at least four fishermen dead and several missing and presumed dead are now on trial in the High Court.
Nakool Manohar, also known as ‘Fyah,’ 40, of Lot 1 Number 43 Village, Corentyne, and Premnauth Persaud, 44, also known as ‘Sinbad,’ were jointly charged with the murder of Tilaknauth Mohabir, also known as ‘Kai’ or ‘Kaiman,’ and Mahesh Sarjoo.
The charge states that between April 27th, 2018 and May 3rd, 2018, the two men murdered Mohabir and Sarjoo during the course of a robbery in Corentyne waters.
On Monday the men pleaded not guilty to the charge causing a 12-member jury to be empaneled for the trial before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Berbice.
The State is represented by special prosecutor attorney Latchmie Rahamat and State prosecutor, attorney Nafeeza Baig.
Manohar is being represented by Attorney at Law, Mursaline Bacchus, while Persaud is being presented by attorney Horatio Edmondson.
The trial is expected to continue today at 9 am.
On April 27th, 2018, pirates attacked four boats carrying a total of 20 persons just off the Suriname Coast. It was reported that each boat was occupied by five persons, comprising the captain and four fishermen.
The pirates, reportedly armed with cutlasses and guns, chopped and beat the fishermen before robbing them. It had been reported that some of the men were ordered to jump overboard with their injuries, while others were thrown overboard with batteries and anchors attached to them.
Four men who survived the attack swam until they were rescued.
However, following the attack, three decomposed bodies were discovered in Surinamese waters during various searches, while a fourth was discovered at the Number 63 Beach, Corentyne.
The authorities had ordered DNA testing to properly identify the bodies. Relatives had told Stabroek News that after they had complained that the results of the DNA tests were taking too long to return, the Surinamese authorities facilitated an identification at the mortuary in Paramaribo, Suriname where the bodies were stored.
Two of Mohabir’s brothers were able to identify his body from a tattoo of his birth date on his hand and by the clothes in which his body was clad. The identification of Sarjoo, a Surinamese national, was done by his sister after she had been contacted by the authorities. The fisherman’s relative had said that his body bore a tattoo of a heart which she used to make the identification.
