City Magistrate Leron Daly is expected to rule next month on whether a case has been made out against Sharmila Inderjali and Maryanna Lionel, who are on trial after allegedly offering a policeman $4 million in cash to release the accused in the murder of Number 70 Village carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt.
The charge against the two women states that they corruptly offered $4 million to Detective Sergeant Kamal Pitamal on Novem-ber 19th, 2016, at Eve Leary, to forego charges against the suspects in custody for the murder as well as Marcus Bisram, who was overseas and wanted by local authorities in connection with the crime.
The women heard that a ruling will be made on whether a prima facie case has been made out against them.
The decision is expected after arguments were made by the defendants’ attorney, Sanjeev Datadin, and a reply by prosecutor Richard Harris.
Magistrate Daly adjourned the proceedings until December 13th.
The defendants, it is alleged, attempted to bribe Pitamal, who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and attached to the Major Crimes Unit, claiming that the payment was to allow Bisram to re-enter the country without being arrested.
During his testimony on January 5th, 2017, Pitamal said that on November 18th, 2016, he was on duty at CID headquarters when he was contacted by Inspector Seeraj Singh and given instructions in relation to an attempt to pervert the course of justice by two of the six men allegedly involved in the murder, Radesh Motie and Harri Paul Parsram.
The two have been charged along with Orlando Dickie, Diodath Datt, and Niran Yacoob with the murder of Narinedatt. Bisram, police have alleged, procured and commanded the men to murder Narinedatt between October 31st and Novem-ber 1st, 2016, at Number 70 Village, Berbice.
According to Pitamal, he was told to set up a sting operation, which he did the next day.
Around 9.30 am, he recalled, he was at his desk when he was approached by the two women, whom he later learned to be Inderjali and Lionel. He said that the women told him that they were asked by Motie, Parsram and Bisram to hand over the $4 million to the police dealing with the investigation for them to release the suspects.
He said it was Lionel, in the presence of a Woman Sergeant, who took out two black bulky plastic parcels with the money. “This is the money, de $4 million fa ayo loose [release] me daddy and di res’ a man dem,” he recalled her saying. “An nuh fi lock up Marcus when he come in,” he recounted Inderjali adding. Inderjali is Bisram’s mother.
The court heard that Pitamal proceeded to open the parcels and observed a quantity of $5,000 and $1,000 notes. He said he then told the defendants that what they were doing was a crime, which caused Lionel to cry out, “Ow me God me guh dead now! Ayo don’t do da to ah we!”
Pitamal said while Lionel uttered these words, her accomplice allegedly attempted to leave the area but was stopped by Pitamal, who alerted a desk rank.
The duo were then cautioned, he said, which caused Inderjali to cry and say, “Ow me God! Ayo help me nuh? Ayo gon mek me son can’t come home!”
The women were then arrested by Woman Sergeant Benjamin and placed into custody.
It was further stated that in the presence of the defendants and the Woman Sergeant, the money was counted and it amounted to $4 million.
The yellow envelope that contained the money and its contents were enter-ed into evidence along with the two black bags used to carry the funds and a cream-coloured bag that belonged to Inderjali.
