The mother and stepfather of slain teenager Neesa Lalita Gopaul yesterday made their second appearance before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged with her murder and were further remanded to prison.
Bibi Sharima Gopaul and Jarvis Small, were ordered by Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry to return to court yesterday for reports. When the case was called, however, Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry was told by the prosecution that it was not in possession of the file.
“Unfortunately Madam, we are not in receipt of the file at this moment,” prosecutor Lionel Harvey told the court.
Small, who was unrepresented by counsel on his first appearance, was yesterday represented by Bernard De Santos who demanded that the prosecution explain the reason for the absence of the file.
De Santos contended that the police contribute greatly to the delay in justice when they take matters for granted by casually and continuously submitting to the court that “they are not in receipt of files.
“The police have become too complacent in this regard and it has to stop,” the attorney asserted.
De Santos said that this monotonous practice by the police has got to come to an end as “not in receipt of the file” is too ambiguous.
Not being in possession of the file can mean several things; “one, that it is lying on some desk in the office of the court superintendent; two, that it is still with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) or three, just anywhere else. A proper response is therefore needed,” De Santos demanded.
An apologetic Harvey in his response to the attorney informed the court that he had no idea what had happened to the file. He then made an application for an adjournment. “Your Worship, I don’t know where the file is at this time, can we have an early adjourned date in order to seek legal advice?” Harvey asked.
“This is very unfair to my client’s course of justice,” De Santos said.
Attorney-at-law Vic Puran who represented Bibi Gopaul expressed a similar position as his colleague, adding that the police at this stage must be sure about their position on the matter and the way forward.
The matter was then adjourned to November 23 for the commencement of the preliminary inquiry (PI). The magistrate also ordered the police to seek the necessary legal advice and to “properly sort out what exactly is happening with the file.”
The two were then remanded to prison.
Unlike her first appearance, Bibi Gopaul appeared more alert at yesterday’s hearing while Small was again expressionless. Meanwhile, scores of curious onlookers converged in the courtyard to get a glimpse of the two accused.
The allegation against the two is that between Septem-ber 24 and October 2 at Madewini, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, Bibi Sharima Gopaul and Jarvis Small, both of 13 Public Road Leonora, West Coast Demerara, murdered Neesa Lalita Gopaul.
Neesa Gopaul’s decomposing remains were stuffed in a suitcase, which was discovered by picnickers on October 2 anchored in the creek at Emerald Tower resort. Her head was bashed in so that her remains appeared headless.
