35 statements filed, 9 testify in Vicky’s cruise-ship case

THREE more witness statements were tendered yesterday in the case against cruise-ship agents Vicky Boodram and her ex-husband Ravi Arjoonsingh, bringing the total to 35.

With nine people having already given evidence, the preliminary inquiry into the charges against the two is well on the way to completion via paper committal, on which a San Fernando magistrate will soon give a decision. Senior Magistrate Cherril-Ann Antoine will determine whether Boodram and Arjoonsingh will be committed to stand trial in the High Court.

Boodram, 38, of Siparia, and Arjoonsingh are facing charges as former operators of Boodram Travel and Ship Ahoy Cruise Ltd, over the sale of tickets for cruises which never took place.

When the case came up for hearing yesterday morning, Special Prosecutor Elaine Greene told senior magistrate Cherril-Ann Antoine that she has three more witness statements which have been filed.

They were served on attorney Jeevan Andrew Rampersad who is representing Boodram, and a junior attorney holding for attorney Jagdeo Singh who is appearing for Arjoonsingh.

With 35 witness statements thus far in the case, there have been nine people who gave evidence from the witness box.

Singh has filed evidential objections to some of the witness statements and Greene has replied. Rampersad told the magistrate he intends to file evidential objections on Boodram’s behalf.

Since the case is being done in a hybrid form of paper committal, the evidence on paper is subject to rules of evidence and objections will take the form of written submissions which Antoine will consider and rule on.

Boodram and Arjoonsingh stood next to each other in the dock for the hearing. He is on bail while she is in custody, having been charged with escaping legal custody from the Women’s Prison, Golden Grove, last year.

The case was adjourned to October 25.

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