Contractor remanded for crashing into crowd at wedding house, killing man

An East Berbice contractor whom the court heard is currently executing several contracts for the Public Works Ministry was on Wednesday remanded to prison by Reliance Magistrate Rabindranath Singh on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
Shazad Sattaur, 36, the CEO of N&S Engineering and Contracting Services and resident of Lot 1294 Glasgow Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice, is facing four charges. He is accused of driving motor pickup GZZ 8988 in a dangerous manner, thereby causing the death of 50-year-old Somdatt Indal, called “Fats”, of Canefield Settlement, East Canje Berbice.

It is alleged that Sattaur drove into a group of people outside a wedding house on Sunday morning in East Canje, causing the death of one and injuring three others.
Additional charges Sattaur faces are: failing to render assistance to the injured persons; failing to stop after an accident; and failing to report the accident. He pleaded not guilty to those charges, but was not required to plead to the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
During the court proceedings on Wednesday, the prosecution submitted that the court should refuse to place Sattaur on bail because one person has been killed, one is in critical condition, and two others have been injured.
The court heard that the accused was captured on video fleeing the scene in a reckless manner. The Police are still investigating the matter, and have so far obtained four statements, the court has heard.
Attorney-at-law Marceline Bacchus, SC, in a bail application, said the prosecution’s submissions do not constitute grounds on which to refuse bail. He also said the Police were hiding the facts.
Bacchus told the court that on the morning of the incident, Sattaur – a father of three – was taking two of his children to his sister’s house, because he was going to Georgetown the following morning. Bacchus said the street was blocked by a group of about 50 persons who were attending a wedding, and Sattaur stopped and blew his horn, seeking to be allowed to pass.
At this point, several persons who were in court supporting and representing the injured and deceased walked out. However, Bacchus continued by telling the court that someone pelted a bottle and broke the back windscreen of the pickup, and two persons tried to open the doors of the vehicle.
Bacchus referred to the actions of the accused as a defense of circumstance, noting that the accused had turned himself over to the Police after a telephone conversation with the Police Commander. The lawyer submitted that the court should grant Sattaur bail, and said he was willing to lodge his passport as a condition for obtaining bail.
Magistrate Singh, however, refused the application and remanded Sattaur. The case will continue on February 17.
It was reported that during the wee hours of January 29, the pick-up vehicle was stationary, facing east on Workshop Street when the driver suddenly drove off at a fast rate of speed, during which he collided with several persons standing on the northern side of the street.
As a result of the collision, 51-year-old Somdatt Indal died, while Daniel Sackichand, 21, of Adelphi Village, East Canje Berbice; 11-year-old Dion Kistnen, a student of Canje Secondary School and of Lot 23 Goed Bananen Land, East Canje; and Leon Revon, 34, of Lot 1143 East Canefield, were all injured. They were picked up by public-spirited citizens and taken to New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where Indal was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty.
It has also been reported that the driver of the motor pick-up had fled the scene, but several hours later he turned himself over to the Police station in the company of his lawyer.
Reports at that at time of the incident, there was an argument between the accused and other persons, after which the pickup, which had been parked there for some time, suddenly pulled out and into the crowd.
Meanwhile, only weeks ago, the Public Works Ministry had terminated the contract that was awarded to N&S Contracting Services for construction of the El Dorado Road, Corentyne, Berbice, after it was found that no work had been completed on the road even after a letter of poor performance had been issued to the contractor.
The contract was awarded in early 2022, and the contractor was given a $22 million mobilisation advance, but had done nothing almost a year later. (G4)