-granted $300,000 bail
Farood Mohamed, the man who allegedly caused the death of three persons as a result of dangerous driving, was yesterday placed on bail in the sum of $300,000 when he appeared before Magi-strate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on July 31 at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), Mohamed, 23, a warehouse supervisor of 68 First Street, Covent Garden, EBD drove motorcar PFF 576 in a dangerous manner, thereby causing the death of 19-year-old Asheeki Asgarally, 23-year-old Richard Chinian and Peter James Sookdeo, 23.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the three counts of causing death by dangerous driving when the charges were read to him by the magistrate.
Attorney-at-law Glenn Hanoman who represented the defendant in association with attorney–at-law Sase Gunraj told the court that the prosecution would have to prove that it was his client who was the driver of the vehicle and not one of the deceased.
According to Hanoman, persons who subsequently gathered at the scene, had confirmed that it was one of those killed who had been driving the car and not Mohamed. He added also that owing to the extensive damage done to the car, there is no way that the driver could have survived.
“My client was in the back seat of that vehicle, my Worship, had he been in front he would have been a dead man too. He was sitting just behind the driver and was also wearing a black T-shirt like the driver was wearing; but he was not the driver.”
The lawyer then made an application that his client be admitted to reasonable bail on the grounds that he poses no risk of flight, has a fixed place of abode, has no previous antecedents and has been fully cooperating with the police in their investigations.
The police prosecutor told the court that on the day in question the defendant had lost control of the vehicle, resulting in the death of the three. While the prosecution had no objection to the bail application made by the attorney, it requested that the bail be set in a substantial amount.
The prosecution’s request was granted and the magistrate subsequently admitted Mohamed to bail in the sum of $150,000 on each count of the charge. His matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for September 17 for statements.
According to reports, the three men from Covent Garden died at approximately 1.15 am on July 31 when the vehicle in which they were travelling slammed into a light pole on the East Bank Demerara Highway near Providence.
Meanwhile, when Mohamed appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at
the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday last, charges were not read nor were details of the incident revealed.
Mohamed’s lawyer, Gunraj had said Mohamed was injured and was not in a frame of mind to respond to or fortify the court with needed information.
Gunraj told the court that his sick client had been slipping in and out of consciousness because of the injuries he sustained as a result of the accident so the charge should not be read to him. Gunraj then made an application for his client to be admitted to bail in order that medical attention could be sought along with an early date at which to return to respond to the court.
But Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith argued that since the defendant is so ill and would be unfit to respond to the court, he should be kept in police custody from where medical attention can also be sought.
The magistrate who shared similar sentiments with the prosecutor subsequently ordered that Mohamed be kept in the custody of the police.
