Head dumped in sea

BUSINESSMAN Edward Khoury's head was chopped off and thrown out in the sea off Mosquito Creek in south Trinidad by a man who later allegedly confessed to committing the act.

Shawn James, one of five men on trial for Khoury's murder which was committed in 2005, told police in one of two statements, that he cut off Khoury's head because he wanted to cut up the rest of his body and throw it out at sea where no one would find it.

Instead, James said, he dumped Khoury's body near Tabaquite. Khoury, the managing director of ISKO Enterprises Ltd, an import and distribution company based in the Macoya industrial estate, was abducted from his office on September 21 that year. Two days later, his headless corpse was found in central Trinidad. His head has never been found.

James, Caleb Donaldson, Jerome Murray, Terry Moore and Robert Franklyn are on trial in the Port of Spain High Court. Testifying yesterday was retired Senior Supt Johnny Abraham who said he interviewed James on September 25 and 26, 2005 at the Malabar Police Station.

The two statements were yesterday tendered into evidence and read out during the trial. In the statement, James admitted to being part of a plan to kidnap Khoury; and of driving around with his body in the trunk of a stolen car; and beheading him and dumping the body.

Abraham, in his testimony, said James accompanied them to all the locations which he (James) had spoken of. Abraham said Coast Guard divers went looking for Khoury's head, but did not find it or the cutlass used to behead the businessman.

In his statement, James said police were looking for him and the only way he could guarantee his freedom was if they did not find the body. One of three women he made contact with, saw the body in the trunk, James said. They had driven to La Romaine, where he cut off Khoury's head.

"I went in the car and take out the cutlass I borrowed. I tried to pull out the body from the trunk but it was heavy...the head hang out the trunk and I take the cutlass and chop off the head and threw it in the sea, no blood was flowing. I put back the cutlass in the trunk and wash my hand with Coca Cola sweet drink," James said in a statement.

He dropped the woman off in Chaguanas and drove towards Tabaquite, where he dragged out the body onto a road through an orange field and threw it into some bushes. James said he later threw the cutlass and a piece of cloth by the Caroni double bridge and discarded the car in El Dorado.

He later arranged his escape to St Vincent with the help of some friends. The trial continues tomorrow, when Abraham returns to continue his evidence.

The five men are being represented by Pamela Elder, SC, Evans Welch, Wayne Sturge, Daniel Khan and Fareed Ali. Anju Bhola and Nigel Pilgrim are prosecuting. Justice Malcolm Holdip is presiding over the trial.