The defence attorneys in the Buddy’s fuel trial were given one last opportunity to make submissions after failing to do so two months after the case was adjourned.
Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday reprimanded both defence attorneys Glen Hanoman and Vic Puran for not being prepared. The attorneys were supposed to present their submissions to the court but they failed to do so. The magistrate told the attorneys they were given enough time to prepare their submissions.
Hanoman and Puran stated that they were unable to finish their submissions and said that they could not understand the magistrate’s handwriting.
Special prosecutor Anil Nandlall asked the court not to grant the defence any more extensions and said that they should be asked to lead their defence.
The magistrate after speaking to the attorneys about delaying the case stated that she would adjourn the matter for them to present their submissions to the court and the prosecutor.
On the last occasion the absence of the lawyers had forced the magistrate to adjourn the matter to yesterday’s date. Neither side had sent a message to the court to explain the reason for their absence. However it was the defendants who when asked, informed the court that their lawyers were handling other cases at other courts. The long adjournment was granted because the magistrate was proceeding on her annual vacation. It has been more than two years since the alleged illegal fuel was discovered in a GEA operation.
On July 25, special prosecutor attorney-at-law Nandlall had informed the court that he was closing his case against the defendants. He stated too that he would like to tender an affidavit that was filed in the High Court in which Deonarine Singh (one of the defendants) admitted ownership of the vessel on which the fuel was found. He said that in his closing argument he would bring up other admissions that are in the document.
Deonarine Singh of 104 Collingswood, Nandy Park, EBD; Wazir Mohamed of 28 North Road, Bourda; Clement Huntley of 39 Wisroc, Linden; Fitzgerald London of 494 Canvas City, Linden; Sanicharran Ramgolam of Number 64 Village, Corentyne; Ceezann Vandelwin of the Pomeroon River; Errol Prince of 43 Garnett Street, Kitty; Joseph Allen of Diamond Squatting Area, EBD; Ramsahai Basdeo of Lot 101 Cornelia New Housing Scheme and Osbern Richards of Supenaam, Essequibo Coast, were jointly charged with possession of fuel without the relevant marking in the right proportion and possession of illegal fuel in a quantity exceeding 2,000 litres without a licence.
The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) said that acting on information received officials visited the Buddy’s Farm around 10 pm on September 27, 2005. When they arrived, the ten defendants were seen offloading fuel from a trawler named Ashley S into drums. A fuel tanker, it is alleged, was already filled.
Tests were carried out on the said fuel and it was allegedly found to be illegal. The men were subsequently arrested and charged.
The trial of the ten accused and the trial of businessman Omprakash `Buddy’ Shivraj on whose property the alleged illegal fuel was found, have been merged.
