Two cops in court for kidnapping, murder of used car dealer
Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
Two police officers have been remanded into custody after appearing in court in connection with the kidnapping and murder of used car dealer Sachel “Pablo” Kungebeharry.
Acting Cpl Ashraf Mohammed, 45, of Chin Chin Road, Cunupia, and PC Jason Dan Michael, 34, of Charlieville, stood before High Court Master Margaret Sookraj-Goswami, yesterday morning.
The officers, who were last assigned to the Caroni Police Station, were charged for Kungebeharry’s murder with an unknown person and for misbehaving in public office by kidnapping him for ransom.
They made their virtual court appearance from the Besson Street Police Station. The hearing was witnessed by Mohammed’s sister and mother and Michael’s mother, who were at the offices of their attorneys Shiva Boodoo and Roshni Balkaran.
During the hearing, Master Sookraj-Goswami advised the officers that they could not rely on alibis in their eventual trial unless they gave an indication and provided the names of witnesses to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) within 21 days or during their sufficiency hearing before her.
Acting Sgt Lawrence Joefield, who charged the duo, indicated that there were approximately 40 witnesses in the case.
Balkaran questioned why a cell phone owned by Mohammed’s wife and Michael’s car were seized during searches at their homes.
Joefield said that the phone and car were being inspected for possible evidence and would be returned if nothing of evidential value was found.
Master Sookraj-Goswami set deadlines for the filing of documents in the case before setting a status hearing for October 29, next year. She is scheduled to conduct a sufficiency hearing for the duo on November 7, next year.
Bail was not considered during the hearing as the duo would have to apply to a judge at a later date to consider such.
Kungebeharry, 32, from Pierre Road, Felicity, was abducted on September 25.
He was reportedly driving along Jerningham Railway Road, Endeavour, Chaguanas, when his vehicle was stopped by a marked police car.
Two men dressed in police tactical uniforms and a third unidentified man claimed that they had a warrant for his arrest before removing him from the vehicle, placing him in theirs and driving away.
The passengers in Kungebeharry’s car were unharmed.
Kungebeharry’s relatives received a ransom request and $500,000 was eventually delivered to a location in Las Lomas identified by his alleged abductors.
However, he was not released as promised.
His body was eventually found in a shallow grave at Pokhor Road in Longdenville on October 3.
He was identified by his fingerprints. An autopsy revealed he died of chop wounds to his neck and head and a stab wound to his upper back.
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