GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Nov 15, Two men, including a businessman, have gone on trial here after pleading not guilty to their alleged involvement in the deadly pirate attack off the coast of Suriname in 2018 that left at least five people dead and several others missing.
Businessman Nakool Manohar and Premnauth Persaud appeared before Justice Navindra Singh at the Berbice High Court on Monday and denied that between April and June 2018, while in Guyana’s territorial waters, murdered Mahesh Sarjoo and Tilaknauth Mohabir in board the vessel Romina SK 764 during a piracy attack.
The prosecution is also alleging that the two men, during the same period, murdered Bandara called “Spanish man,” Laita Sumair, called “Bora,” and Lokesh DeCouite, on board the vessel Joshua SK 1418 that was under attack while committing the offense of piracy.
Local and Surinamese authorities had said that the attack could have been one of revenge after Manohar’s brother, Somnath Manohar, was gunned down in Suriname.
The attack on four fishing boats, 30 miles (48 km) from the coast of Suriname resulted in at least 20 fishermen being attacked, with several still missing and considered dead. Five men survived the ordeal.
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