Magistrate Nigel Hawke, on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court ordered that the prosecution in the Preliminary Inquiry into the murder of five Kaieteur News pressmen close their case.

The order came as a result of the repeated absence of the final witness, Troy Bacon, who an arrest warrant has been issued for.

Bacon had been summonsed several weeks ago but when he failed to appear in court the arrest warrant was issued for him.

This Preliminary Inquiry which had started about three years ago has encountered many interruptions.

It had only recommenced two months ago after a series of adjournments.

Dwight Da Silva called `Whitey’, Quincy Evans, called `Jimmy Dog’ and `Nasty-man’, a juvenile are the defendants in the case. Jermaine `Skinny’ Charles, now deceased, had also been charged with the murders.

Magistrate Hawke stated that on September 8, he’ll make his final decision on whether a prima facie case had been made out.

Da Silva and Evans had been charged on August 17, 2006 with the murders of  Mark Maikoo, Chetram ‘Boyo’ Persaud, Richard Stewart, Eion Wegman and Shazim Mohamed, at the Kaieteur News printery at Eccles, East Bank Demerara between August 7 and 13, 2006. ‘Nasty man’ was also later charged.

All of the pressmen had been shot at the back of their heads.

Several witnesses gave testimony in the matter.  The defendants had appeared before Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court when the PI had first started but it was later transferred to Magistrate Hawke.