Skype evidence from Brazilian doctor delayed Defence questions translator’s competency
The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder charge against Anand Narine and Darrol Compton, the two men accused of killing Babita Sarjou six years ago, continued yesterday, with the court having to reschedule the slated Skype evidence session.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan resumed the PI after a delay of a few weeks.
Evidence was expected to be taken from Dr. Renato Teodoro Ferreira Paranaiba, the Brazilian doctor who played a key role in the case, through the digital medium of Skype. A Brazilian translator, a member of the Federal Brazilian Police, who works as a liaison officer in Guyana, was expected to translate the evidence taken from the doctor.
After a two-hour crossexamination of the translator by attorney Ronald Trotman, in association with Hubert Rodney, in relation to what qualified him to translate during the PI, the Chief Magistrate deemed the translator competent to translate from Portuguese to English, and from English to Portuguese. Trotman, however, requested his own interpreter, to be able to determine the accuracy of the translator’s work. The Chief Magistrate noted that the court had already deemed the prosecutor’s translator fit to translate, but later granted the request that the attorney could have his own translator next to him during the taking of the evidence.
Subsequently, the matter was adjourned to June 12, when the PI will resume with the taking of evidence from Paranaiba via Skype.
Narine and Compton were charged with the murder of Sarjou, which occurred on November 4, 2010. Mortgage fraud conspiracy convict, Ed Ahmad is to begin his two-year sentence on September 1st this year.
Ahmad who was sentenced last month was originally to surrender on June 30. However, his attorney Steven Kartagener applied on Tuesday for an enlargement of the period of surrender. Judge Dora Irizarry granted this yesterday.
In his letter of May 9th to the judge, Kartagener also asked whether Ahmad could be incarcerated at one of three facilities: Lewisburg Satellite Prison Camp, McKean Satellite Prison Camp or Otisvile Camp satellite.
The judge in reply to this said that Ahmad shall selfsurrender to the facility designated by the Bureau of Prisons.
Ahmad was sentenced on April 21st for attempt and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in a case that attracted interest here because of his links to former president Bharrat Jagdeo.
Ahmad had hoped for a non-custodial sentenced after co-operating with the US government in successfully prosecuting former New York State Senator John Sampson but a crucial lapse sunk his chances and Judge Irizarry found him not to be remorseful. During his testimony in the Sampson case, prosecutors learnt that Ahmad had violated the terms of his bond by pledging an encumbered property. There were also questions about the veracity of his tax returns. These transgressions appeared to have led him to jail time.