Bisram sent to Camp Street Jail due to security concerns
US and Guyana dual citizen Marcus Bisram being escorted to court to answer a murder charge
30 year old United States Citizen Marcus Bisram who is a born Guyanese was today remanded to prison by Magistrate Renita Singh after appearing at the Whim Magistrate’s Court where the Capital offence was read to him in relation to the death of 26 year old Faiyaz Narinedatt back in 2016. Bisram was remanded hours after touching down at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.Bisram is here; to be charged with murder by earliest Friday, latest Monday
This afternoon, one of Bisram’s battery of lawyers told BIG Smith Crime Watch that a decision was made to have Bisram remanded to the Camp Street Prison in Georgetown as against the Lusignan or Berbice Prisons.
“The United States Embassy, Marcus Bisram, his Defense lawyers and the sate all agreed that Bisram’s stay in Guyana throughout the preliminary inquiry or trial, is safe and that he is not injured or harm in any way. He is still a US Citizen and so when the state was contacted one of the recommendations was that the Camp Street Prison is a little safer because it is not overpopulated and it’s a little more controlled with respect to safety” the lawyer told BIG Smith Crime Watch.
Faiyaz Narinedatt’s remains were found on the No.70 Public Road Corentyne Berbice hours after he was escorted from a party which was being hosted by Bisram and after he was said to be behaving disorderly. There were also claims that the death of the young man stemmed from his refusal to give into sexual advances from the now accused.
Also of concern today by Defense lawyers was the decision to have Bisram’s matter called at the Whim Magistrate’s Court which is not the jurisdiction in which the crime allegedly took place. This move is likely to see protests from the defense lawyers who questioned the move this morning in court.
“The Defense lawyers are challenging it’s (Whim Magistrate’s Court) jurisdiction to hear that matter because the alleged crime took place in Springlands and following the criminal procedures act, you would have had to bring the charge in the district in which the alleged crime was committed. So to move it from there, the Defense lawyers are asking for answers as to why that was done” the attorney explained.
It was also mentioned that the sitting magistrate at the Whim Court is likely to proceed on leave shortly and in that case, Bisram would have to sit in jail and wait until that magistrate returns sometime in the new year. According to the lawyer, those delays are unnecessary and is another reason the matter ought to be called in its correct jurisdiction.
“If we keep it at Whim we cannot do anything, he will just be left in prison without even having to go to court for months and that is why we want it to go before a magistrate where it is correctly supposed to be seated so that magistrate can begin the preliminary inquiry. Defense lawyers have been preparing for this man’s arrival for over two years, he is now here we don’t want no delay we are ready to go, he is ready to go and they must be ready to go he has come now, get your act together and let us go” stated the lawyer
Bisram is slated to return to court on December 02, 2019. Prior to his arrival in Guyana on the order of an extradition appeal which he fought and lost Marcus Bisram to arrive in Guyana within hours the case against him was being called in the Whim Magistrate’s court but continued to be put off because of his absence. Prior to his arrival also, the last calling of his mater was put down until December 21, 2019.
Five other persons were charged for the murder of Narinedatt also, they were committed to stand trial in the High Court. They are Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob. Two of Bisram’s relatives are also before the court for attempting to pervert the course of justice by offering a bribe to police detectives.
Today at the Whim Magistrate’s court, Bisram arrived under heavy security before lunch and was allowed to interact with family members as he waited in a police vehicle for his case to be called.
Meanwhile Bibi Azeez, mother of the deceased said that she is pleased to know that she will get justice for her son. She noted that while she will not get her son back alive, she is grateful for justice. “I must thank everybody who made this possible and I know it will not bring back my son but I will get some form of satisfaction” she stated.