(Trinidad Guardian) Two men, who admitted to kidnapping and murdering a pair of Guyanese construction workers over an unpaid debt in 2009, are expected to be released from prison in almost seven years.
Adesh Maharaj and Govind Dhanassar were awaiting trial for the double murder for over a decade when their attorneys entered into plea agreements with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for them to instead plead guilty to felony murder.
Under the felony murder principle, the mandatory death penalty for murder is waived in circumstances where death results during the commission of a lesser criminal offence.
When their case came up before Justice Devan Rampersad in March, he disagreed with the suggested starting sentences of 35 years and 30 years for Maharaj and Dhanassar, respectively, which were jointly agreed to by their lawyers and State prosecutors under the plea agreements.
Justice Rampersad performed a maximum sentence indication (MSI) in which he suggested that starting sentences of 36 and 34 years were more appropriate based on the circumstances of their case.
The duo accepted the MSI and were recently sentenced by Justice Rampersad.
The judge gave discounts based on evidence of their efforts at rehabilitation whilst in prison presented by their lawyers and reduced the remaining sentences by a third based on their guilty pleas.
The time spent on remand awaiting trial was deducted leaving Maharaj with seven years and two months left to serve and six years and four months for Dhanassar.
As part of their sentences, Justice Rampersad ordered that they be placed on probation for two years when they are eventually released.
The duo was charged with the kidnapping and murder of Naraad Sookoo, 28, and 22-year-old Tomeshwar “Vinod” Doobay.
Sookoo and Doobay were abducted from a job site in St Augustine on March 17, 2009.
The following day, their bodies were found in a river near a dump site in central Trinidad.
State prosecutors contended that Sookoo and Doobay were taken to Maharaj’s home in Charlieville where they were interrogated over money they allegedly owed.
One of the men reportedly threatened to seek revenge on Maharaj’s wife and children when they were freed.
Maharaj reportedly retrieved a gun from upstairs his house and shot both men when he returned downstairs.
Dhanassar then assisted Maharaj in disposing of the men’s bodies.
Dhanassar received a slightly lesser sentence than Maharaj as he did not actively participate in or agree to the duo’s murders and only agreed to help with their abduction.
Maharaj was represented by Wayne Sturge and Danielle Rampersad, while Israel Khan, SC, and Arissa Maharaj represented Dhanassar. Veonna Neale-Munroe represented the DPP’s Office.
