Guyanese businessman charged with wounding T&T Soca artiste, Benjai

Local businessman, Marverick DeAbreu appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, charged with wounding Trinidad and Tobago Soca artiste, Benjai.

DeAbreu pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on April 16, 2017 at Palm Court, Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Rodney “Benjai” La Blanc. His lawyer, Mark Waldron, told the court that his client is 25 years old and lives at Broad and Alexander Street, Charlestown.

However, La Blanc’s lawyer, Eusi Anderson told the court that his client came all the way from Trinidad for justice. Anderson said that on the day in question, the artiste had just wrapped up his performance at Pulse Entertainment’s Soca theme party at the Palm Court Night Club, Georgetown and was standing at a nearby car park in the company of his manager and other people when the driver of a vehicle reversed into them.

According to the report, when alerted to the presence of the group, the driver came out and pointed a firearm at Benjai and the group. The report further stated that DeAbreu came out passenger’s side of the vehicle and hurled a glass object at La Blanc and slashed to his face. The artiste was rushed to a private hospital, where he received over 15 stitches for two wounds. The Magistrate released DeAbreu on $50,000 bail and adjourned the matter to October 11, 2017.