Read the story in the Trinidad GuardianTwo accused murderers walked free Friday because the state did not have the evidence to push for a prosecution. State attorney Nalini Singh told the court statements given by the main witnesses, Kelly "Machine Gun" Denoon, Marvin Subratie and Anthony McCarthy at the Magistrates' Court were not admissible.
Two of the witnesses have been killed, she explained, and the third – Marvin Subratie has disappeared. She said all efforts to locate him have failed.
State witness Sgt Harvey Jawahir, told the court following he had not seen Subratie for a year and that he received a phone call from Subratie who told him he was afraid of being killed like the two other witnesses so he would not testify to support his earlier statements.
The accused, Kareem Baptiste and Aaron Worrell, were on trial on charges of charges with murdering Oba Jones on the Brian Lara Promenade around midday on April 21, 2005.
Based on the state’s submission Justice Anthony Carmona instructed the jury to return not guilty verdicts against them. They did as instructed and the accused walked out of court as free men after the judge pleaded with both men to change their lifestyles.
Carmona also seized the opportunity to launch a scathing attack on authorities who are responsible for the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), which he says is infested with criminal elements.
"Time and time again a lot of criminal activity is taking place in the bowel of the URP and that is the stark reality...And what is further stark is a generation of young men is dying," the judge is quoted in the Trinidad Guardian as saying.
"And for some strange reason, the police now have begun to make what I would refer to as a distinction... Deaths are now being referred to as drug-related or gang-related.
"This is not about a death being gang-related or the death being drug-related, this is about young men dying. And as a nation we have to rise to that reality, and we must not involve ourselves in some kind of social disengagement."
The judge said it is "delusional" for authorities to avoid the issue of crime in the URP, adding that based on matters before the courts in the past 18 months, "I can tell you that in the bowels of the URP there is rank criminality and the authorities need to address this."
The judge also expressed concern about the trend of witness intimidation and what he called poor police investigation, adding that they contribute to the collapse of cases.
The URP was also linked to the killing of Port-of-Spain city councillor Bertram Allette who wanted to rid corrupt elements in his Belmont district and numerous others.
Minister with responsibility for the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), Colm Imbert, told local media he needs to study Carmona's entire judgment before commenting on the judge's criticisms of the program.
His predecessor, Rennie Dumas had consistently dismissed accusations of any criminal activity in the program. But Imbert has pointed fingers at the UNC administration and accused it of encouraging criminal activity in the URP.
Read Anand Ramlogan's column: No witness protection in the Sunday Guardian
Two of the witnesses have been killed, she explained, and the third – Marvin Subratie has disappeared. She said all efforts to locate him have failed.
State witness Sgt Harvey Jawahir, told the court following he had not seen Subratie for a year and that he received a phone call from Subratie who told him he was afraid of being killed like the two other witnesses so he would not testify to support his earlier statements.
The accused, Kareem Baptiste and Aaron Worrell, were on trial on charges of charges with murdering Oba Jones on the Brian Lara Promenade around midday on April 21, 2005.
Based on the state’s submission Justice Anthony Carmona instructed the jury to return not guilty verdicts against them. They did as instructed and the accused walked out of court as free men after the judge pleaded with both men to change their lifestyles.
Carmona also seized the opportunity to launch a scathing attack on authorities who are responsible for the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), which he says is infested with criminal elements.
"Time and time again a lot of criminal activity is taking place in the bowel of the URP and that is the stark reality...And what is further stark is a generation of young men is dying," the judge is quoted in the Trinidad Guardian as saying.
"And for some strange reason, the police now have begun to make what I would refer to as a distinction... Deaths are now being referred to as drug-related or gang-related.
"This is not about a death being gang-related or the death being drug-related, this is about young men dying. And as a nation we have to rise to that reality, and we must not involve ourselves in some kind of social disengagement."
The judge said it is "delusional" for authorities to avoid the issue of crime in the URP, adding that based on matters before the courts in the past 18 months, "I can tell you that in the bowels of the URP there is rank criminality and the authorities need to address this."
The judge also expressed concern about the trend of witness intimidation and what he called poor police investigation, adding that they contribute to the collapse of cases.
The URP was also linked to the killing of Port-of-Spain city councillor Bertram Allette who wanted to rid corrupt elements in his Belmont district and numerous others.
Minister with responsibility for the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), Colm Imbert, told local media he needs to study Carmona's entire judgment before commenting on the judge's criticisms of the program.
His predecessor, Rennie Dumas had consistently dismissed accusations of any criminal activity in the program. But Imbert has pointed fingers at the UNC administration and accused it of encouraging criminal activity in the URP.
Read Anand Ramlogan's column: No witness protection in the Sunday Guardian
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