(Trinidad Express) TECHNICIAN Reeshie Surajbally has been committed to stand trial in the High Court on the charge of kidnapping and sexually touching two girls in Barrackpore last year.
The ruling was delivered this afternoon by Princes Town Senior Magistrates Rajendra Rambachan who also ordered that Surajbally be discharged for the offences of giving alcohol to the children.
The alcohol related charges were laid under Section 36 of the Children’s Act, related to the administering of a dangerous drug or substance having the effect of a dangerous drug. Magistrate Rambachan explained that he could not be sure that beer had a similar effect as a dangerous drug.
Surajbally, 40, of Princes Town was charged with six offences against the then nine year and 14-year-old girls last year May. The acts were allegedly committed while at a sugar estate road in Barrackpore. The girls were allegedly carried to that area after they were taken from High Street, Princes Town.
There were over ten prosecution witnesses in the matter which was heard before senior magistrate Rajendra Rambachan.
Witnesses included both girls who gave statement to the police and were cross examined by defence attorney senior counsel Pamela Elder. Charging officer Alcala of the Police Service Child Protection Unit was also cross examined.
The State was represented by attorneys Sara De Silva, Ramdath Phillip and Chantal Hospedales. They proffered statements which were also taken from two police officers who were first on the scene, a crime scene investigator and a police photographer in the matter.
Surajbally, a married father of two was out on $300,000 bail. He secured bail before the High Court after twice failing in his bid for bail before a magistrate.
He will remain on $300,000 bail. He is to have no contact with the alleged victims or their families and report to the Chaguanas police station once a month. His passport was ordered returned to him.
