Rajaee Ali gets off wild meat charge

AN Arima magistrate has dismissed a charge of possession of wild meat against former LifeSport programme co-ordinator in Carapo Rajaee Ali.

Ali, who is also charged with the murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal, and with being a gang leader, was discharged by magistrate Debby Ann Bassaw on Wednesday after she upheld a no-case submission by his defence attorney, Mario Merritt.

Merritt submitted that the prosecution failed to prove the carcass of the animal allegedly found in a car in which Ali and two others were travelling was wild meat.

Ali was arrested near his Carapo home around midday on August 2, 2014, after police allegedly found a lappe carcass in the car.

The three were charged with having the protected animal.

The State was represented by assistant Director of Public Prosecutions George Busby.