Rajaee Ali to stand trial

UPDATED:

Former Life Sport co-ordinator Rajaee Ali and four others have been committed to stand trial for allegedly conspiring to murder radio DJ Kevaughn “Lurbz” Savory.

The case against a sixth man, Brent La Croix, was aborted by Senior Magistrate Ejenny Espinet, as he has missed more than ten months of the preliminary inquiry because he contracted tuberculosis. He has since been cleared by his doctors, but Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions George Busby suggested aborting the inquiry against La Croix and having it restarted before another magistrate.

Acting Deputy Chief Magistrate Nanette Forde-John will preside over the new inquiry. La Croix appeared before her yesterday afternoon and was told to return on March 1.

Another magistrate, Aden Stroude, will preside over the gang-related charges against the others. These charges were laid summarily and cannot be heard before the same magistrate. Busby told Forde-John he preferred that both the conspiracy inquiry against La Croix and the summary trial against the other be heard simultaneously, since the previous case took two years to complete.

Ali, his brother Ishmael Ali, Keshon Dempster, Brandon Borneo, Brent LaCroix and Donna Dyer are before the court on charges under the Anti-Gang Act, possession of arms and ammunition to endanger life, and conspiracy to murder Savory. All the offences are alleged to have taken place on November 27, 2014, in Port of Spain.

Ali and his brother Ishmael are also charged with nine others for the May 4, 2014, murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal.