Kanhai: “Lively closing argument for Bouterse”

“There will be a lively closing argument for Desi Bouterse,” Irvin Kanhai, defense attorney of Bouterse, told Times of Suriname. Kanhai who represents Bouterse in the December 8 trial explained that he will highlight the political situation starting in the eighties. He will also discuss evidence that has been presented by the Public Prosecutor. Kanhai explained that he will first listen to the closing speech of the prosecution before writing his closing argument. He usually writes his closing argument before the prosecution’s closing speech but given the magnitude of this trial, he will do it differently this time. He did not reveal how many pages his closing argument covers but pointed out that it will be a heavy closing argument. The Military Court which last week decided to resume the December 8 trial decided that Judge Advocate Roy Elgin on February 9 must indicate how long the prosecution wants the suspects in the December 8 trial, Bouterse, Etienne Boerenveen, Jimmy Stolk and Arthy Gorré, to be put behind bars. Elgin had already indicated that his clo- sing speech has been finished since April 2012. Last week the Military Court rejected the request of the judge advocate to end the legal proceedings with regards to the events of December 7, 8 and 9, 1982 because of Article 148. The Military Court had also rejected the same request that was based on the amended Amnesty Act.