By CECILY ASSON Tuesday, August 18 2009

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PREPARING FOR CREMATION: Relatives of the murdered former cop prepare for his cremation which took place last Friday....

Five men appeared in court yesterday for the murder of retired police sergeant, Harripersad Ramkissoon, aged 64.

Of the five accused, one was the 19-year-old neighbour of the murder victim.

Ramkissoon was discovered dead inside his San Fernando home last week.

The five who appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with the murder of the former policeman were teenager Keron Trotman, of Cottage Road, St John’s Village, San Fernando; Marlon De Couteau, 29, Old Train Line, Marabella; Junior Cuffy, 25, also of Old Train Line, Marabella; Arnold Phillip, 28, of Chrissie Terrace, Enterprise, and Elijah Benjamin, 29, of Pleasantville Circular Road, Pleasantville.

The five appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington in the San Fernando First Magistrates’ Court.

Trotman, De Couteau, Cuffy, Phillip and Benjamin remained standing in the docks as court prosecutor Sgt Robin Rampersad read out the charge which said that on August 10 at St John’s Village, San Fernando they “murdered Harripersad Ramkissoon.”

The matter has been transferred to the Princes Town Magistrates’ Court and the men will reappear on August 19.

Ramkissoon, a grandfather of eight was found gagged and hog-tied at his home last Monday night.

Two cars which were parked below his house were stolen - one has since been recovered by investigators.

A post-mortem revealed that Rampersad died as a result of asphyxia due to gagging. He was cremated on Friday.