Berbice assizes open with over 50 cases for trial

The October 2024 criminal sessions at the Berbice Assizes, where Puisne Judge Zamilla Ally Seepaul, will be presiding was officially opened on Tuesday.

Officer in charge of the New Amsterdam Prison, ASP Patrick Crawford presented the goal delivery in which 54 remanded prisoners are awaiting trial at the Berbice High Court.

There are 47 prisoners facing the capital charge. The males are drawn from Berbice, Corentyne and West Magisterial districts, where the offenses were committed.

Including in the list of inmates that will go on trial are; Khemlall Bisnauth, 44, Shane Samaroo, 23 and Lester La Fleur, 43, who have been charged with murder, but have requested to plea to a lesser count of manslaughter.

The youngest prisoner is 19-year-old Kevin Somrah who faces a murder charge, while the oldest is Mc Raj Toolsie, 49, charged with sexual activity with a child.

Khemlall Bisnauth is accused of fatally stabbing his brother, Sardanand Bisnauth, 45, during an argument. This incident occurred in May 2020 at their Shieldtown Village, West Coast Berbice home.

Shane Samaroo called “Tanta Boy” was arrested in December 2021 after he allegedly murdered Faroze Khan. Khan was beaten and stabbed to death on August 19, 2021, at Bennet Dam, Rosignol.

Lester La Fleur is accused of the murder of 15-year-old Carlus Leung-Et-Weh in December 2022.

Prior to killing the teen, La Fleur had reportedly stabbed another man, 26-year-old Carl Singh. Singh managed to escape and La Fleur proceeded on Angoy’s Avenue where he met the teen and stabbed him while pinning him down in a trench.

La Fleur was remanded to prison on December 28, 2022.

Kevin Somrah is accused of the murder of 25-year-old Pursoram Ganpat, a rice farmer, who was stabbed to death on June 12, 2023. Somrah was remanded on June 15, 2023.