BISRAM CASE ATTRACTS BACCHANAL/ CONFUSION: Magistrate’s removal, magistrate shopping, confidence and no confidence all take centre stage
As was anticipated by many, the bacchanal in the Marcus Bisram court case has commenced. While documents began circulating today Friday that spoke of no confidence in the magistrate, confidence in the DPP and the state prosecutor and disappointment in Public Security Minister Ramjattan’s statement on the case; evidence suggests this volcano was in the making some two weeks now after Marcus Bisram first appeared before Senior Magistrate Alex Moore in the Whim Magistrate’s Court on December 02, 2019.
On Wednesday Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan blast the state prosecution for their handling of the matter that has caused the matter to be at an almost standstill.
Today Friday, a letter surfaced and purportedly written by relatives of deceased Faiyaz Narinedatt and which spoke of the family having confidence in the Director of Public Prosecution and State prosecutor Stacy Goodings who is prosecuting the matter.
The issues surrounding the snails pace of the case, reportedly started following the December 02, 20109 hearing that saw a face-off between Defense counsel Sanjeev Datadin and State Prosecutor Goodings in court.
Goodings wanted three weeks leave from the court in order to photocopy a few statements which the court and Defense required in order to proceed with the matter. Datadin objected on the grounds that the timeline the prosecution was proposing, was to deliberately delay the proceedings. The magistrate ruled in favour of the defense on that matter and then ruled in favour of the prosecution for a site visit of the murder scene.
All of those things were to be done on December 09, 2019 last but could not have happen since the magistrate reported sick, the prosecution was a no show before another magistrate who called the matter and Bisram never left Georgetown for Berbice on that day.
With letters now in circulation and the evidence which BIG Smith News Watch has been preview to, questions are now being asked as to if the magistrate was really sick on last occasion or was ordered off the case.
Senior Magistrate Alex Moore
The DPP in a letter to the chancellor of the Judiciary and copied to the Chief Justice on December 05, 2019, two days after Magistrate Moore first handled the Bisram matter; both the DPP and the state prosecutor called for the magistrate to be removed from the case as they are of the view that he has a personal interest in the matter.
The letter also requested the matter be reassigned to another magistrate within the said magisterial district.
The bacchanal is expected to continue on Monday December 16, 2019 at Springlands since Magistrate Peter Hugh who called the matter on Monday December 09, 2019 adjourned the case to Springlands after prosecution failed to show up and contact with her was not made. magistrate Moore is thebstantive presiding Magisrtate at Springlands.
Further to that, there was no warrant signed up to late Thursday that would facilitate Bisram’s release from the Camp Street Jail to attend court on Monday December 16, 2019. It is unclear if any such warrant was signed today Friday.
Bacchanals in the Marcus Bisram matters are nothing new, in the case of the other five persons who are also charged; the very state prosecutor lodged a complaint against the presiding magistrate at the time resulting in him being removed from the case just when the matter was about to conclude.
After that, the case was sent to another magistrate who after a few hearings, resigned from office. The case was the pushed to another magistrate; Renita Singh who after dealing with Bisram’s first appearance after he returned to Guyana on an extradition order, went into leave, thus throwing the matter over to Alex Moore.
On Monday in court, the police prosecutor requested the matter be adjourned until January 06, 2020. That date coincides with the return of Magistrate Renita Singh from her annual leave. it was magistrate Singh who ruled that there was enough evidence for the other five persons who are charged in the matter to stand trial in the High Court.
Bisram is before the court for reportedly ordering the killing of the 27 year old father of two Faiyaz Narinedatt who reportedly refused sexual advances from him, Bisram, during a party he was hosting at his house on the Corentyne.
