On Tuesday, Police in Berbice were forced to withdraw charges against the three men who were accused of the Mandir shallow grave murder.
The accused: Antonio Balrup and Satrohan Madray
As the matter was called, the officer to swear to the evidence was absent. Hours later, when the matter was called for the second time, it was observed that it was filed for the New Amsterdam Court and not the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court.
In light of this, Magistrate Rondell Weaver requested for the jacket to be filed properly. That had to be done at Fort Wellington.
When that was corrected and came before the court, the Magistrate said she had no jurisdiction to hear the charge as prepared. The prosecution then sought advice from the DPP and then returned to court with only two of the accused.
Magistrate Weaver then asked for the third accused since there were three names on the file jacket.
Accused Asif Hamid
Upon his appearance at the court, it was stated that Antonio Balrup, and Satrohan Madray are accused of killing Saeed Hamid at D’Edward but Asif Hamid was charged with accessory to the crime.
Due to the fact that Hamid is a prisoner at the New Amsterdam Penitentiary, the Magistrate ruled that the matter was out of her jurisdiction and could not read that charge to the accused.
Police Prosecution, Inspector Bernard Brown at that time told the court that the prosecution was only going ahead with the charges against Balrup and Madray.
However, the Magistrate said she could not separate the charges since they were jointly charged and as such, the charges were withdrawn.
The Magistrate had earlier vented her frustration as her patients ran out having to wait for more than six hours and up to then the prosecution was not able to present a charge which she could read to the defendants.
Meanwhile, as one of the accused was being taken to the court, he claimed that he was severely beaten by the Police.
His mother, Seeta Madray, who also was detained as the Police investigated the alleged murder of the Corriverton butcher, said her son was placed under pressure to make certain utterances to the Police.
“My son said, Mummy! They put plastic bag over my head, they scotch tape over my mouth, they bandage my hand and they shock me fo say things wha me na know.”
Saeed Hamid was supposed to testify against his son, Asif, in connection with the murder of Henry Lallman, whose body was found in a shallow grave under a mango tree in Hamid’s yard.
Lallman had disappeared and during investigations, Police stumbled upon the man’s partially decomposed body after they were informed that he went to Hamid’s home and never returned.
It is believed that Hamid while in prison met Madray and they plotted to prevent the now dead businessman from giving evidence against him. On April 16, 2018, the senior Hamid left his Corriverton home and never returned.
