Corentyne businessman charged with murder of fisherman

Piracy massacre

A Corentyne, Berbice businessman was on Wednesday refused bail when he appeared at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court accused of killing a fisherman during the recent piracy attack.
Nakool Manohar, called “Fyah”, 39, the alleged mastermind was not required to plea to the indictable charge. Appearing before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh, Manohar remained emotionless in the docks as the charge was read to him. It is alleged that between April 26 and May 3, 2018, while in Guyana’s territorial waters, he murdered Tilacknauth Mohabir, called “Caiman”.
The businessman was remanded. The case will continue on June 13.
He was also further remanded to the two previous charges of robbery on the high

seas committed in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Two murder charges
Heavy drama unfolded inside the packed courtroom and the prosecutor presented two murder charges to the court for Mohabir. However, the defendant’s legal representative, Attorney Joel Edmond, successfully argued that one of the charges was bad in law and so had to be withdrawn.
The second count of murder carried the same facts and was for that of Mahesh Sarjoo, called “Cooba”
Edmond argued that in a haste to pin charges, the Police placed improper documentation before the court. He argued that the law does not permit for the two charges to be lumped together. “They have to be individual charges… I am therefore asking this court to dismiss the charge against my client. I am submitting that based on the facts or lack of facts, the court should discharge this matter.”
However, Police Prosecution, Inspector Orin Joseph requested that the name be amended on the charges and had the name of Sarjoo be struck out.
The Magistrate allowed the amendment and Manohar was then read the charge of murder of Mohabir.
The accused is expected to be back in court shortly to have another murder charge read to him.
During the hearing, Attorney Edmond questioned the legality of the trial taking place in Guyana, when the alleged offence was committed in Suriname territority.
However, Inspector Joseph cited the Piracy Act of 2008 under Chapter 14 which states: “Where an offence under this Act is committed outside Guyana, the person committing such offence may be dealt with in respect of the commission of the offence as if the offence had been committed at any place within Guyana or its territorial waters.
Mohabir and Sarjoo’s bodies were the only two that were positively identified by relatives in Suriname after the attack by pirates on four fishing boats at a place called Wia Wia Bank in the Atlantic Ocean.
Reports coming out of Suriname indicated that 20 fishermen were the victims of that attack and 11 are still missing and feared dead.
Meanwhile, one of the two other bodies found is still to be identified and that is awaiting DNA results. The other was that of Gowkaran Outar whose body was found on the Number 63 Beach. He was identified by a tattoo on his upper body.

Relatives clash
Outside the Springlands Magistrate’s Court, relatives and supporters of the accused flocked the courtyard which was filled with relatives of some of the missing fishermen and those of Mohabir and Sarjoo.
A heated exchange ensued between the mother of the accused and relatives of some of the missing men. (Andrew Carmichael)