The prosecution yesterday closed its case against Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie,” Dennis Williams, called “Anaconda” and Roger Simon, called “Goat Man,” who are accused of murdering 12 men, including three police officers in the 2008 Bartica massacre.
The defence, comprising attorneys Roger Yearwood, Saphier Hussain and Peter Hugh, will be making submissions before Justice Roxane George SC, when the matter continues this morning at the High Court in Georgetown.
Prosecutor Diana Kaulesar announced the closure of the state’s case after calling the final of its more than 20 witnesses to the stand.
The charges against Mark Williams, Dennis Williams and Simon are that on February 17, 2008, they murdered Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, and Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne, as well as Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Abdool Yasseen, Errol Thomas, and Baldeo Singh.
They have pleaded not guilty to the indictments.
Meanwhile, the state’s case is being presented by Kaulesar, in association with Prosecutor Stacy Goodings.
Yearwood, Hussain and Hugh are representing Mark, Dennis and Simon, respectively.
The charges against the trio stem from an attack at Bartica on the night of February 17, in which gunmen attacked the police station first, killing three policemen. They then reportedly took the vehicle assigned to the station and went on a rampage, terrorising the community and murdering the nine others.
According to testimony given during the trial, the gunmen arrived in the area by boat and departed in similar fashion, taking with them firearms they had grabbed from the police station and from a mining company.
The attack on the Bartica community came amidst heightened security across the country following the slaughter of 11 people at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara three weeks earlier.
