US wants 2 more Trinis for hostage-taking
Published: 17 May 2010

Buoyed by the successful prosecution of seven Trinidadians for the kidnapping of US citizen, Balram (Balo) Maharaj, the United States Government is now moving to have two more nationals of this country extradited to Washington, DC, for hostage-taking. Attorney General John Jeremie signed the authority to proceed on April 16, and the matter is before acting Chief Magistrate, Mark Wellington, in Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court. The US is seeking extradition of Hassan Atwell and Gary Gobindass, for taking US citizen, Videsh Mohan, hostage on June 4, 2005. In the Maharaj case, the victim died; in the Mohan case, the victim was shot and wounded, but survived. Last Friday, Atwell went before Justice Devan Rampersad in Port-of-Spain High Court, seeking bail, pending determination of the extradition hearing.

He was represented by attorney Bindra Dolsingh, but the application was strongly resisted by attorneys David West and Sunita Harrikissoon, representing the US Government. Rampersad dismissed the application and Atwell remains in prison. The extradition matter will come up for hearing again on May 27. This is the second time that the US has requested nationals of T&T for the crime of hostage-taking. After the kidnapping of Maharaj on April 5, 2005, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), based in Miami, came to Trinidad to assist in negotiations for the safe release of the victim. The US requested the extradition of 12 Trinidadians for the crime of hostage-taking resulting in death. David Suchit was acquitted and returned to Trinidad.

Four pleaded guilty and agreed to give evidence for the US Government. The other seven went on trial and were found guilty on July 31, 2009. Videsh Mohan, then 20, and his cousin, Amit Mohan, then 24, were abducted from West Coast Drive, Gulf View, San Fernando. They had been playing pool when armed men scaled a wall and entered the house. They forced the two young men into Amit’s black wagon and were able to exit the premises without raising an alarm. The other occupants of the home remained unaware of the abduction until around 2:30 a.m.on Sunday, June 5, 2005, when Amit’s father received an anonymous call that his son and nephew were in the hands of kidnappers. Three days later, Videsh was shot and released at Mosquito Creek, South Oropouche. Because Videsh was a US citizen, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), arrived in the country to assist the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and San Fernando CID in their investigations.(FJ)

US wants 2 more Trinis for hostage-taking | The Trinidad Guardian