Freed 'Joe Hook' murder accused re-arrested
THE 11 accused freed in the historic `Joe Hook' murder case Friday night, were shortly after re-arrested to face charges of arson. Minutes after the group, including a woman, left the dock at the Demerara Assizes, Police took them back into custody. Also to face charges of arson are the three men found guilty of manslaughter in the case. The 14 are expected to appear in a magistrate's court tomorrow to answer the arson charges. The 15th member of the group, Latchman Ramesh, called Rohan, 25, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. The case for the Prosecution, presented by a team led by State Counsel Roxanne George, was that the group, believing Nankumar Sukhoo, also known as `Boyso', 41, was a Police informer, torched his house and killed him when he emerged from the burning building at Joe Hook, Mahaica Creek, East Coast Demerara, on October 11, 1993. The killing followed Police raids and destruction of marijuana (ganja) farms in Mahaica earlier that month. The 15 indicted before the judge and jury made history in the criminal jurisdiction of this country because it was the first time so many people were tried on a single indictment for the capital offence. Others with Rohan in the specially constructed dock were Gildharie Tulram (Rakesh), 22, Ramesh (Edwin) 47, Sookraj Ramgobin (Sonna) 18, Nandram Ramesh (Pajoi) 18, Mohanlall Doodnauth (Rajesh) 19, Chaitram Doodnauth (Maholie) 21, Balram Ramkarran (Sham) 26, Gangaram Achaibar (Boyo) 17, Pooramal Bissessar (Lil Ramo) 19, Roopnarine (Fry Fish or Whistler) 18, Ramdas Sanka (Big Ramo) 24, Deodat Doodnauth (Ganesh) 20, Danesh Doodnauth (Chubby) 17 and Dharandai Doodnauth (Baba). Defence counsel, Mr. Jainarayan Singh, is contending that the 11 were freed on evidence relating to the allegation of arson and are likely to pursue a defence of atrofois aqui. In the trial before Justice Winston Moore, the mixed jury found mastermind Ramesh, called Edwin, guilty of manslaughter. He was jailed for 20 years. In imposing sentence, Justice Moore found that Edwin was the mastermind who spurred the others into the crime and was able to pull himself out of trouble. Also found guilty of manslaughter were Gildharie Tulram, called Rakesh and Balram Ramkarran called Sham. Justice Moore said he would order a probation report for them before imposing sentence, since he believed they were spurred into committing the crime and would be entitled to a lighter sentence. They were remanded to prison until May 3 for sentence. Justice Moore told Edwin he should consider himself very lucky, adding, "I have no doubt in my mind you were the cause of what happened and you being the older and more clever you took yourself out. During Police investigations, five of the suspects in custody gave confession statements (which they later denied) which formed the basis for the charges. There were three eyewitnesses who said Rohan shot Boyso to death after his house was set afire. However, Edwin testified from the dock that he shot Boyso, claiming he did so in defence of his life after Boyso, who was chasing him with a pointed garden fork, was getting dangerously close to him. Ms. George asked the jury to find that "the accused had come out that day like an army with the intention to kill." "Those who did not have guns, were armed with cutlasses and sticks," the Prosecutor said in her final address to the jury of eight men and four women. The Prosecution claimed the group set out after Boyso because it was his report to the Police that led to the destruction of marijuana farms in the Mahaica Creek on October 9, 1993. Sixteen witnesses testified for the Prosecution and three for the defence. 
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