As the trial into the deadly piracy attack in 2018 continued yesterday, the High Court in Berbice heard that one of the two accused had threatened revenge over the killing of his brother in Suriname.
Premnauth Persaud, 44, also known as ‘Sanbad,’ and Nakool Manohar, also known as ‘Fyah,’ 40, of Lot 1 Number 43 Village, Corentyne, were jointly charged with the murder of Tilaknauth Mohabir, also known as ‘Kai’ or ‘Kaiman,’ and Mahesh Sarjoo.
The charge states that between April 27th, 2018 and May 3rd, 2018, the two men murdered Mohabir and Sarjoo during the course of piracy in Corentyne waters.
Earlier this month, the men pleaded not guilty to the offence causing a 12-member jury to be empaneled for the trial before Justice Navindra Singh.
Last week, Darandeo Persaud also known as “Archie bai”, one of the survivors of the attack, which left at least four fishermen dead and several missing and presumed dead, testified that they were working on the boat called Joshua 1418, when around 2 am the pirates invaded the boat and said “them come to kill.”
He had identified the accused, Premnauth Persaud in court, to be a part of the attacking crew which chopped him, then tied him to an anchor and tossed him overboard.
Yesterday, Navin Balkissoon took the stand and testified that he knew Manohar’s brother called “Padday” in Suriname and attended his funeral. He said, Manohar was present and before lighting his brother’s pyre, Manohar said that they would have to light the pyre for the killers just as he did for his brother.
He recalled that Premnauth Persaud and others were present at the funeral. He said he phoned his sister and told her what was said to him. According to the man, he did not want to be a part of the crew that would be involved in any such operation.
He said he went out to sea with another fisher called “Anton” and after returning ten days later he saw Manohar and Premnauth Persaud on Bissoon’s Wharf where Manohar gave instructions and said that he was picking out the crew to go on the mission against the boats.
He said that Manohar repeated that they would have to light the pyre of the men just as he did his brother’s. Balkissoon said that Manohar told him that if he did not go he would kill him and kill his family too. Nevertheless, the witness said, he “get away” and returned to Guyana. Questioned why he got away, the man stressed, “because I don’t want to go and kill nobody.”
The jury then questioned how Balkissoon knew it was Manohar speaking at the funeral if he had never met him before that day. Balkissoon noted that other persons at the funeral said that was Padday’s brother. The jury also clarified the year as to when the instructions were given and Balkissoon said 2018.
Balkissoon’s sister, Babita Balkissoon also testified yesterday that in April 2018, her brother had phoned her.
Another survivor of the attack, Captain Deonarine Goberdhan recalled that they were out at sea when the attacker’s boat approached theirs. He said he thought it was a fishing boat asking how they had set their seines so that they could set theirs as is normally done by fishers while out at sea.
According to him, Tilaknauth Mohabir, also known as ‘Kai’ or ‘Kaiman,’ was the crew member, who first spotted the incoming boat. The men on the attacking craft asked whose boat it was and after his crew identified him, one of the attackers with a gun cursed at them and ordered them into the fish pen.
He testified that Premnauth Persaud sat on the ice box laughing. He said that he had known the accused for about three to four years before the attack. He then positively identified the accused in court yesterday.
While kneeling in the witness box to show the position in which the attackers held him, Goberdhan said the men broadsided and chopped them with cutlasses as he then pointed out chop injuries he sustained on his arms. “Sanbad sit down pon the ice box and a laugh and I say ‘bai wah really going on budday?’ and he say ‘shut you (expletive) mouth’… Sanbad say he come to collect the boat.”
He said he pleaded with the men to take what they wanted and leave them alone. However, after lashes were dealt, his workmen, who he said did not know to swim, jumped overboard as was ordered.
He testified that he was ordered to start the engine but after he saw a man with a cutlass running towards him he “take overboard.”
He said the men chopped the seine, “swing the boat upwards and come to the bow and I don’t know if they shoot or what but I duck.”
He said he ducked very low in the water and did not raise up to avoid the men from seeing him hiding as he was unsure if the guns were loaded.
Demonstrating how he raised his head in the water, he said he realized “everybody dead because them chop them up and me start call pon God.”
He recalled that it wasn’t until 4 pm the following day that he was rescued by a boat, stating that it was only him and his God in the water.
Goberdhan said before he jumped overboard one of his workmen “been done gone down because he can’t swim.”
According to him, one of his workmates, a Surinamese, wasn’t beaten instead they told him “`Dutch man you move out pon here’, them na trouble the Dutch man.” He said, it was him and three of his workmen that “get the lash and is we tek overboard.”
He said he’s never seen the Surinamese since that day but has heard that he is usually in the area in Suriname to look after his son.
The man recalled returning to sea to search for his three workmen but not being able to find them.
The State is being represented by special prosecutor attorney Latchmie Rahamat and State prosecutor, attorney Nafeeza Baig. Manohar is being represented by attorney at law, Mursaline Bacchus, while Premnauth Persaud is being presented by attorney Horatio Edmondson.
The trial is to continue today at 1 pm.
