State closes case in Koury trial

SIX months after it formally opened its case against the five men charged with the brutal murder of businessman Dr Eddie Koury during a botched kidnapping, the State has closed it case.

Before the court charged with Koury’s murder are: Shawn James, Caleb Donaldson, Jerome Murray, Terry Moore and Robert Franklyn.

Koury, the managing director of ISKO Enterprises Ltd, an import and distribution company based at the Macoya industrial estate, was abducted from his office on September 21, 2005. Two days later, his headless body was found in central Trinidad. His head has never been found.

At the close of the prosecution’s case, jurors were told to return on July 25 as several legal issues will be engaging the court during that time.

According to the juror’s handbook – which is given to jurors selected for trials – when the prosecution closes its case, the defence may submit that there is no case for the defence to answer. It will then be up to the judge to decide whether this is so or not. If he does not, the defence will then present its case.

More than 60 witnesses have given evidence at the trial which is being presided over by Justice Malcolm Holdip in the Port of Spain High Court, while the statements of other witnesses were tendered into evidence without opposition.

Testifying at the trial were several police officers, Koury’s former employees and a Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) DNA analyst from Quantico, Virginia, in the US.

Among the statements tendered was that of James, who allegedly confessed to the police that he transported Koury’s body after he was stabbed at his office, removed his head and dumped it. His fingerprint was allegedly found on a metal money tin at Koury’s office, while there were allegedly DNA matches of Koury’s blood on the shoes of at least three of the men – Donaldson, Murray and Moore.

Jurors were also told a gun found at a house in D’Abadie where three were arrested, matched bullet casings found at Koury’s office.

DNA evidence was also allegedly found on the gun. Franklyn was said to have rented a car allegedly used to transport the businessman’s body. DNA samples found on the back headrest of the back seat did not exclude Koury’s DNA, according to the FBI analyst. Koury’s blood was also found on the trunk of a stolen taxi, which was also used to transport his body.

Franklyn, who was a police officer, is also related to James and Murray, and his wife was Koury’s personal assistant. One of Franklyn’s former colleagues at the E999 command centre testified he received a call from Franklyn on the morning of Koury’s abduction.

According to the evidence of Koury’s former employees, four men came asking for money and guns when he was stabbed. He died of a single stab wound.

State attorneys Nigel Pilgrim and Anju Bhola are prosecuting while the men are represented by a team of attorneys including, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder, Daniel Khan, Evans Welch, Mario Merritt and Wayne Sturge.