Arrest warrants issued for Bobart kidnappers; and...
Hotel manager kidnapped ...$300,000 ransom demanded

By Ken Chee Hing

Winston Seepersad, 65, manager of the posh Villa Maria Inn in Moka, Maraval, was kidnapped from the hotel on Tuesday and a $300,000 ransom demanded for his safe release.

Seepersad’s kidnapping comes just over a week after Chaguanas businesswoman Kalawatie Godek, 33, was snatched outside her Savannah Courts, Orchard Gardens, Chaguanas, home.

Seepersad is the 24th person kidnapped this year.

According to reports, hotel owner Doris Hurst awoke on Tuesday morning and discovered the front gate to the hotel open. Hurst, who lives in the hotel, told police she noticed the door to Seepersad’s room ajar and several electronic items including a television set missing. Seepersad also lives at the hotel.

Around 11 pm on Tuesday, Hurst received a telephone call with a male voice telling her Seepersad was kidnapped and she had to pay $300,000 for his safe release.

Hurst reported the kidnapping to the Maraval police and officers later contacted and informed the Anti-Kidnapping Squad.

When Newsday visited the hotel yesterday morning, Hurst refused to be interviewed. A woman working at the hotel said the ‘boss lady’ did not want to speak to the press since the kidnappers had instructed that no report on the kidnapping was to be given to the press.

Seepersad, who sources say originally hails from San Fernando, has been living at the hotel, where he is the night-manager, for the past ten years. At the time of the kidnapping, he was the only person at the hotel.

Newsday investigations revealed that on November 14, 1998, Seepersad was shot and seriously wounded during a robbery at the hotel. Around 3 pm that day, three armed men stormed the hotel and ordered Seepersad to hand over cash. While the bandits were ransacking Seepersad’s office, Hurst walked in and was robbed of a diamond ring worth $3,500.

Seepersad attempted to overpower the bandits and was shot in the left arm, with the bullet exiting the arm and lodging in his chest. As he fell to the ground, the bandits fled. Seepersad spent two months in hospital recuperating from the gunshot wound.

Yesterday AKS officers led by Snr Supt Gilbert Reyes and including Insp Adam Joseph and Sgt Netram Kowlessar visited the hotel and spoke to Hurst. Sources said the hotel owner was “very concerned” for Seepersad’s safety.

Seepersad is the second kidnap victim recently.

Two Tuesdays ago, Kalawatie Godek, owner of Off Rodeo clothing store in Grand Bazaar, was kidnapped outside her home and a ransom of $3 million demanded.

She was released six days later after $204,000 was dropped off in a bag in Claxton Bay. Her kidnappers have not been held.

Up to late yesterday Seepersad’s whereabouts were still not known and investigations were continuing.

Arrest warrants issued after Bobart kidnapping accused abscond

By NEWSDAY REPORTER

JUSTICE Herbert Volney yesterday issued a bench-warrant for the arrest of two men who are among five charged with kidnapping Camille Bobart, and who failed to return to Court yesterday following midday lunch break.

The warrants were issued for Rasheed Karim, 29, of Cummings Street, Arouca and Carlos Manickchand, 39, of Farrah Street, San Fernando after they failed to return to the First Criminal Court in the San Fernando Assizes.

A manhunt is now underway for the two accused men, with security and surveillance being beefed up at the country’s two International Airports as well as all major ports.

Karim and Manickchand are jointly charged together with Sean Subransingh, 31, Dane Manickchand (Carlos’ brother) and former UWI security guard Hayden Benjamin, 28. Bobart was kidnapped in April, 2000. She was later rescued by police at a house in Chaguaramas. the trial is now in its seventh week.

Kidnap accused Sean Subransingh testified yesterday that he was “weak” and in a state of “general confusion” when he signed a statement given to him by police at the Port-of-Spain police station.

Subransingh, who said he had Type 1 diabetes, revealed that when he signed the statement he had not taken an insulin shot for some 12 hours.

He said despite numerous requests to police officers during his detention at the PoS police station he was never given a bag containing his medication and food that his wife brought to him at the station.

Subransingh, yesterday opted to take the witness stand in the Second Criminal Court of the San Fernando Assizes before Justice Volney.

He recalled that while he was detained at the PoS police station then Cpl Joseph Isaac told him that if he signed the statement he would be able go to home. The accused testified that later that evening he was given a document by Cpl Isaac, but was not allowed to read it.

Subransingh said: “When he handed me the first page I attempted to read the document and he (Cpl Isaac) told me if I don’t know the difference between reading and f...... signing” The accused told the nine-member jury that no Justice of the Peace was present when he signed several places on the statement which Cpl Isaac had pointed out to him.

He claimed his innocence of involvement in the April 2000 kidnapping of Bobart, but admitted to owning two vehicles which police said were used in the incident. Subransingh, 31, said he was the owner of a car rental company, and had rented vehicles to the police service.

Of his relationship with the four other accused, Subransingh said he had known Carlos Manickchand approximately seven years, but only met the others when he was taken into police custody for the kidnapping.