Recent events review Saturday, June 4 to Friday, June 10

the Corentyne River a week ago, were yesterday charged with the capital offence of murder when they were arraigned at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court, at Corentyne, Berbice. The five men, Ramchan Latchman, 23, of Number 65 Village, Ganesh Naidoo, 41 of Number 79 Village, Ramesh Singh, 53, of Liverpool Village, Stephon Leacock, 19, of Lot 366 Number 77 Village and Leon Sammy, 29, of Lot 1 Number 75 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, were not required to plead to the charge, which was instituted under the Piracy Act. Bail was refused and the five men were remanded to prison by Magistrate Charyln Artiga, who adjourned the case until July 6 for report. The murder charge was instituted against the five fishermen on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack. today. “Yes I would want him. Based on the findings of the CoI, he was vindicated there and so we have to bring him on back. I need his services badly too,” Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan told Stabroek News yesterday. “One of the findings, as it pertains to allegations by the prisoners, was that he was the one that said ‘fire them and burn them’…absolutely nothing of the sort happened,” Ramjattan said. Samuels was sent off of duty for six weeks by Ramjattan who explained that it was to facilitate the CoI. “We think that [him going on leave] is a necessity at this stage…couple of things about Mr Samuels and for both his interest and also the interest of the prison and my discretion, I indicated that it might be advisable at this stage,” Ramjattan had said when he made public, the decision to send Samuels on leave. Some inmates had testified at the CoI that Samuels had ordered other wardens to not render assistance to those suffering from the inferno and let them burn.