Marcus Bisram to face another trial in murder of Berbice carpenter

Guyanese-American businessman Marcus Bisram is expected to turn himself over to the police to stand trial for the 2016 murder of Berbice carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt, following a decision of the Court of Appeal on Monday to allow an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC.

The DPP had challenged the June 2020 ruling of High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall, who had ruled that the incarceration of Bisram was unlawful and ordered that he be released.

Justice Morris-Ramlall had granted a total of eight orders which led to the release of Bisram from prison. The orders granted by the judge were for the quashing of the decision of the DPP, directing Magistrate Renita Singh to re-open the preliminary inquiry into the charge against Bisram and committing him to stand trial at the High Court for the offence.

The DPP filed an appeal contending that there was sufficient evidence for a lawful committal of Bisram and the judge’s ruling must be set aside. The DPP also claimed that Justice Morris-Ramlall erred in law and was misconceived in law in finding that the recantation does not automatically affect prosecution but found that the arresting of the Bisram by the Commissioner of Police was unlawful.

In the ruling on Monday, the Chancellor (ag) of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards allowed the appeal filed by the DPP which allowed for the committal of Bisram. Bisram is expected to turn himself over to the police and placed for remand to stand trial at the High Court for the murder of Narinedatt.

However, Bisram’s attorney Arudranauth Gossai had signalled his indentations to appeal the matter at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The matter was also presided over by Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.

During preliminary inquiry in 2020, Magistrate Singh had initially freed Bisram after she found that the evidence given by the star witness for the prosecution was “unreliable” under cross-examination.  However, DPP ordered the magistrate to commit Bisram to the High Court to stand trial for the indictment.

Bisram was accused of orchestrating the murder of Narinedatt, a twenty-seven-year-old father of two, who was killed on November 01, 2016. Narinedatt’s body was found around 03:30 hours on Tuesday, November 01, 2016, on the Number 70 Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice. His death was initially reported to be the result of a hit-and-run accident.

It was later reported that Bisram allegedly made sexual advances towards Narinedatt, who objected. Bisram was initially charged in absentia, while five others – Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob – were charged and later committed to stand trial for the man’s murder.

Bisram, who holds dual citizenship, was extradited from the United States of America on November 21, 2019. He was charged with murder hours after his extradition and placed on remand at the Camp Street Prison until he was freed.