Brazilian specialist to testify in Babita Sarjou murder trial

A Brazilian interpreter was on Thursday deemed competent to translate the results of the DNA analysis (previously sent over to Brazil), by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan following cross-examination by defence counsel as the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Babita Sarjou continued before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The Chief Magistrate ruled that she was satisfied with the competence and training of Carlos Manuel Da Costa with regard to his ability to effectively translate into English the testimony of a Brazilian doctor and specialist, who readily appeared on Skype to report his findings. This did not go down well with Attorney-at-Law Ronald Trotman, who remained sceptical about the proficiency of Da Costa. The lawyer sought to discredit the interpreter during cross-examination, establishing that the man was ignorant of scientific terms and principles, owing to his lack of expertise in the field.
The Portuguese man initially told the court that even though he could not effectively interpret many terms of complex scientific nature, he is capable of translating the same in English providing that they (the terms) were explained to him by the analyst. This was sufficient for the Magistrate to rule him as being competent, declaring that the main aim of the hearing was to decipher whether Da Costa was able to successfully translate and explain what the witness was saying.
A wary Trotman then requested that the defence have an interpreter as well to corroborate evidence given by the specialist, in order that the parties may find common ground or be placed in an “equal position” as he proposed.
Magistrate McLennan responded by expressing her willingness for the defence to have an interpreter, who would sit at the Bar table for this purpose only, since the court was already satisfied with the competence of its translator.
Another issue arose as Prosecutor Moore disclosed that Da Costa was set to leave the jurisdiction the following day and would return in August. After several minutes of negotiation, the interpreter agreed to return sooner to facilitate the continuation of the PI.
The matter is set to resume on June 12, 2017 at 09:30h before the court of the Chief Magistrate.
Murder accused Sharadananda Narine, of Lot 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, and his alleged accomplice, Darrel Ponton, called “Yankee” of Lot 54 Broad Street, Charlestown, were jointly charged for the death of Sarjou, Narine’s then estranged wife. They are currently on remand.
It is alleged that on November 4, 2010, the woman left her Timehri, East Bank Demerara home to meet her husband and son at the Kitty Seawall to view the annual Diwali Motorcade. When she did not return home that night, her mother became worried and filed a missing person’s report. After many months of fruitless searching, the case was closed. However in 2016, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum reopened the case as a homicide following the surfacing of new information.
Investigators made a major breakthrough when Sarjou’s estranged husband and ‘Yankee’ were questioned and subsequently cracked under pressure, leading the officials to the shallow grave holding the remains of Sarjou.
Investigations revealed that Narine had allegedly paid Ponton $50,000 and had promised him a trip to Trinidad for his services.