Guyana born U.S. citizen, Marcus Bisram has been committed to stand trial before a judge and jury for the October 2016 murder of Berbice carpenter, Faiyaz Narinedatt.
It was done by Magistrate Renita Singh, who was directed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, to commit Bisram to stand trial for the offence.
The directive from the DPP came days after the Magistrate discharged the case against Bisram
, citing insufficient evidence. Following the discharge, Bisram was rearrested by police and taken into custody. It was on March 30, 2020, that Magistrate Singh, who presides at the Whim Magistrate’s Court, discharged the case.
But the DPP, via a letter, sent directives to the Magistrate, instructing that the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) be reopened and the accused be committed as there is prima facie evidence against Bisram for him to be tried in the High Court. The Magistrate, in reopening the PI, said that the DPP cannot direct that Bisram be committed for trial, as such a decision lies within the authority of her court.
Further, the Magistrate said that she is of the opinion that sufficient evidence was not led to commit Bisram to stand trial in the High Court. Bisram was rearrested on Monday, March 30, 2020, by the police ranks in Skeldon, Berbice for the murder of Berbice carpenter just hours after he was discharged by Magistrate Singh. It is alleged that between 31 October, 2016 and 1 November, 2016, Bisram coerced, procured and commanded five persons to murder Narinedatt.
The latter have been charged with the carpenter’s murder and remain on remand. Based on reports received, following the discharge, Bisram was told by the Magistrate that he was free to go. Five body guards escorted him to his home where tents were set up for what seemed to be a party in celebration of his freedom.
Shortly after arriving home and meeting with relatives and friends, Bisram is said to have visited the home of one of the five accused, who was also charged for the murder of Narinedatt. It was after he left there that he was rearrested by the police in a street not far from the back track route to neighbouring Suriname. Police believe that Bisram received information that he was going to be rearrested and was therefore, trying to flee to Suriname.
Bisram told the arresting ranks that he was heading to the Springlands Police Station to surrender. The ranks escorted the vehicle he was travelling in to the station where he took more than an hour to exit the car. Bisram’s Lawyer, Sanjeev Datadin had told this publication that his client surrendered to the Springlands Police Station but in the same breath, he claimed that Bisram had no idea why he was rearrested.
