Almost seven years after businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman was abducted from her Chaguanas home, 12 men yesterday went on trial in the Port-of-Spain High Court accused of her kidnapping and murder. The trial began with a jury exemption process by Justice Malcolm Holdip, presiding over the trial. Almost 400 potential jurors have been summoned for possible selection on the 12-member jury with five alternates.
The trial is being held in the Second Criminal Court. Not all potential jurors could be accommodated in the courtroom so they were housed in the basement of the Hall of Justice, Knox Street, Port-of-Spain. Holdip and the trial attorneys communicated with them using video-conferencing equipment installed for the trial. Addressing jurors yesterday, Holdip explained the grounds on which potential jurors could ask to be exempted.
He said those who personally knew the accused, the attorneys or witnesses would be exempted, as well as those with valid medical reasons. Holdip added: “If you are well enough to go to work, you are well enough to serve.” The juror-exemption process is expected to last for the rest of the week, with jury selection beginning next Monday. Holdip estimated the trial would last between four and six months. He said there would be no hearings in August, the Judiciary’s annual holiday.
He told jurors measures had been put in place to ensure their safety during the trial. Holdip also noted that the new criminal trial rules, which are due to be implemented on August 2, would be used in the trial. The new rules, which form part of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Offences) Act, will allow uncontested written witness statements to be entered into evidence. The trial had been adjourned several times in the past when some of the accused were unable to retain defence lawyers.
At those hearings, the Legal Aid and Advisory Board said lawyers would be retained for the men and yesterday all but one said they had defence attorneys. The unrepresented man, Antonio Charles, said he was expected to have an attorney by the end of jury selection.
The defence team includes Ulric Skerritt, Selwyn Mohammed, Wayne Sturge, Colin Selvon and Lennox Sankarsingh.
The witnesses due to testify include DCP Mervyn Richardson, Naipaul-Coolman’s widower Rennie Coolman and several police officers assigned to the now disbanded Special Anti-Crime Unit (Sautt). Senior Counsel Israel Khan, Gilbert Peterson and Dana Seetahal are prosecuting for the State. The trial continues this morning.
Flashback
Naipaul-Coolman, 52, of Lange Park, Chaguanas, was kidnapped as she drove into her driveway on December 19, 2006. Her abductors demanded a $3 million ransom and her relatives paid a portion of it. However, she was not freed and her body was never found.
Those charged
Allan “Scanny” Martin, Shervon “Buffy” Peters, Keida Garcia, brothers Marlon and Earl Trimmingham, Ronald Armstrong, Antonio Charles, Joel Fraser, Lyndon James, Devon Peters, Anthony Dwayne Gloster and Jamille Garcia. A 13th man, Raphael Williams, was charged with the crime but died in prison in 2011.