Koury trial adjourned to September

AN eleventh-hour application by the defence attorney of one of the men on trial for the murder of businessman Dr Eddie Koury has led to the adjournment of the case until September, in the new law term.

Attorneys were expected to begin closing addresses to the jury this week, which would have been followed by Justice Malcolm Holdip reviewing the evidence and the law to the jury, after which they would have been invited to deliberate on their verdict.

However, the application by attorney Wayne Sturge resulted in the judge asking the jury to return on September 17, since he would have to hear submissions on the issue raised by Sturge in the absence of the jury, and give a ruling on it.

And with some of the defence attorneys already indicating that they are likely to take a few days in their address, there would be insufficient time for the final process of addresses and summation to take place before the term closes for the long court vacation at the end of July.

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.