Thursday, September 3 2009

Warrants were yesterday issued for two police officers who failed to attend court to testify in the inquest into the death of Maraval mechanic Israel Sammy.

Coroner Nalini Singh ordered the arrests of the officers who did not show up, despite being ordered to do so by another Magistrate less than one week ago. It was just last Thursday, that police officers Insp Earl Baird and PC Andy Francois were ordered by Magistrate Andrew Stroude, to return to court for yesterday’s hearing.

The inquest surrounds the murder of Sammy who was executed at the back of his home on May 20, 1998.

Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr is the subject of the inquest.

When the matter was called yesterday in the Port-of-Spain Inquest Court, Homicide Bureau detective Sgt Michael Veronique had just finished testifying when the names of Insp Baird and PC Francois were called.

There was no answer when the latter two were called and Singh promptly issued the warrants.

Sgt Veronique had returned for examination yesterday after previously testifying in the matter. The matter was then adjourned to September 9.

Sammy, a 22 year-old mechanic of Valot Street, Boissierre Village, Maraval, was snatched from his bed during the early hours of May 20, 1998, by masked men.

He was taken out into the street beaten, and fatally shot twice in the head.