PM’s friend charged

South-based businessman Hanif Nazim Baksh, described as a close friend of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, yesterday surrendered to police more than 24 hours after they tried to arrest him at his Penal businessplace on Wednesday afternoon. He was not there when the police showed up and they returned later but he still could not be found.

Yesterday, as they were preparing to return, they were told a senior member of the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) was contacted by Baksh’s attorney who was arranging to have Baksh surrender at about 2 pm.

He and attorney Michael Rooplal went to the Henry Street, Port of Spain office of the PSB where he met acting Supt Ruthven Hunte of the Police Complaints Division at about 1.48 pm. Hunte told Baksh of the charges to be laid against him.

He was charged shortly before 4 pm yesterday with assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Trinidad Guardian photographer Kristian De Silva and malicious damage to De Silva’s spectacles in September.

Baksh, the CEO of AV Oil and Gas Ltd, was taken to the Besson Street police station where he waited on a justice of the peace who granted him bail in the sum of $80,000.

Earlier yesterday, Cpl Billy Ramsundar, husband of government senator Allyson Baksh, was granted $80,000 bail after he was also charged with assaulting De Silva.

He has also been charged with malicious damage of De Silva’s Canon camera, valued US$1,600.

Ramsundar was granted bail by a justice of the peace on Wednesday after he was charged by Hunte.

He and Baksh, father of the government senator, are expected to appear before a Siparia magistrate today.

De Silva, 34, of Golconda, was at Nazim Avenue, San Francique, Penal on September 16 covering the alleged Petrotrin “fake oil” story at Baksh’s company when he was allegedly assaulted.