3 months later: Businessman charged for fatal shooting; prosecution’s key witness dies

A Black Bush Polder bar owner was on Monday placed on $1M bail for unlawfully killing Corentyne labourer, Yognand Chaitram on New Year’s Day at the businessman’s bar, as the prosecution’s key witness reportedly committed suicide Saturday.

Moonie Ramnarine, a 65-years-old businessman of Lesbeholden South, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), appeared at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Tuana Hardy, charged with manslaughter.
The bar and rum shop operator was not required to plea to the indictable charge, which states that on January 1, 2025, at Lesbeholden, he unlawfully killed 29-year-old Yognand Chaitram.
Attorney at Law, Bernard Da Silva, representing the accused, told the court that the businessman and father of one is a licensed firearm holder, and on New Year’s morning he had customers at his bar from Old Year’s Night, when fight broke out in the bar and Chaitram was allegedly a part if it.
Da Silva told the court that the accused intervened with the intention of parting the fight. He was attacked and thrown on the ground and used his firearm to discharge one shot, which hit Chaitram.
The attorney, in his arguments before the court to grant the accused bail, said Ramnarine recently underwent a triple bypass surgery in the US and will need to return for treatment.

However, Magistrate Hardy said that was of no relevance at this point in time.
The prosecution, in their arguments, told the court that Ramnarine was on $1M station bail while the investigation was ongoing, and asked for substantial bail, and for the accused passport to be lodged.
Bail was set at $1M, with the accused being ordered to lodge his passport, and he is barred from leaving the jurisdiction.

Key witness
The case put forward to the court by Da Silva varies somewhat from what Chaitram’s younger brother, Devendra, had previously told reporters.
The younger Chaitram was the prosecution’s key witness in the case.
It had been reported that the younger Chaitram claimed that they had gone into the shop to change money, and indeed a fight did break out, but his brother had already walked out of the shop when he was shot.
However, on Saturday, March 8, Devendra Chaitram ingested a poisonous substance and died later in the day. Family members say he was frustrated and felt helpless about getting justice for his brother, who died in front of his eyes.
The time the matter took to get to court resulted in the younger brother being stressed a sister said.
He is still to be buried.
The case has been transferred to the Mibicuri Court and comes up again on April 1, when the police will be expected to disclose all statements they have.
The Magistrate has set April 15, to commence the trial.