Bisram, well-known in Berbice for his philanthropic efforts to the police community and other charities, will be handed over to the US marshals pending his extradition by the Secretary of State.
The processing of Bisram would come in seeming record time as it was only eight months ago that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that he be sent back to Guyana to face a murder charge in the killing of Faiyaz Narinedatt.
Narinedatt was beaten after he allegedly rebuffed Bisram’s sexual advances early November, 2016.
The carpenter was allegedly dumped in the trunk of a car belonging to an acquaintance of the businessman, driven to a public road in Berbice and the scene made to look like a hit-and-run accident had taken place.
The businessman was arrested at a New York beach front property, in Far Rockaway, Queens, in early July after a US Judge had issued a warrant for him. Prior to that, Bisram was posted on the Interpol wanted list.
On Thursday, New York Judge, Peggy Kuo, filed the Certificate of Extraditability and Order of Commitment, paving the way for him to be sent back.
It is not often that the US has extradited one of its citizens to Guyana. Guyana, on the other hand, has done so in a number of cases.
An extradition hearing was held on October 2, and according to Judge Kuo, after considering the evidence, in particular, the certified and authenticated documents submitted by the Government of Guyana, and the pleadings and the arguments of counsel, she has determined that her court has the jurisdiction to handle the proceedings.
Bisram’s lawyers had questioned whether there was indeed a treaty allowing the US to send back their client.
Bisram, according to filed court documents, was found and arrested on July 4, 2017, in the New York district based on a complaint filed by the United States in response to the request of the Government of Guyana.
Judge Kuo found that the extradition treaty between the US and the Government of Guyana- Extradition Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of December 22,1931,47 Stat. 2122, (“Treaty”) was entered into force upon Guyana’s independence on May 26, 1966, and was in full force and effect at all times relevant to the Bisram action.
In her order, the Judge said that: “This finding rests upon the documents submitted by the Government of Guyana in this matter, including the sworn witness affidavits attached to the affidavit of Germaine Laundry, Corporal of Police attached to the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters of the Guyana Police Force.”
In certifying the extradition, the court said that the businessman will remain in the custody of the US Marshals pending further decision and surrender by the Secretary of State.
Acting United States Attorney, Bridget Rohde, representing the Department of Justice, Guyana’s equivalent to the Ministry of Public Security, wasted no time after the Judge’s order yesterday.
In a filed letter to Bisram’s lawyers, Mario Gallucci and Michael DeSantis, Rohde listed the next steps that will clear the way for the businessman to be sent back to Guyana.
Rohde explained that now the extradition order has been issued, the Secretary of State then has to determine whether to surrender the fugitive to the requesting state.
It was explained that typically, the fugitive is surrendered within two months of the issuance of the order.
Bisram’s lawyers were told that in contrast to a criminal conviction, the certification is not directly appealable and is subject to a “limited review by way of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus to the district court.”
The lawyers were advised that Bisram’s last minute options of “Habeas Corpus” proceedings is available only to inquire whether the Judge had jurisdiction, whether the offence charged is within the treaty and, “by a somewhat liberal extension, whether there was any evidence warranting the finding that there was reasonable ground to believe the accused guilty.”
“If a habeas petition is filed, the Secretary will suspend review of the extradition matter, and will resume review only when and if the district court denies the petition. Consequently, there is no need to obtain any form of stay, provided that the habeas petition has been filed.”
Once the court has denied the habeas relief, Bisram has to surrender to Guyana. The US government also made it clear that it may oppose any application for a stay.
Bisram’s alleged actions last November in Berbice, caused four men to be charged for the murder of Narinedatt.
Radesh Motie, 39, an excavator operator, of Lot 124, Number 78 Village Corentyne, Berbice; Diadath Datt, 18, of Lot 98, Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice; Harripaul Parsram, 49, of Lot 164, Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice and Niran Yacoob, 37, of Lot 65, Number 67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice were remanded to prison when they appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, in November last year.
Also charged were Bisram’s mom, Shermella Inderjali, 45, a mother of two, of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
She and Maryanne Lionel, 25, a bank teller of Republic Bank, also of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice were arrested during a sting operation.
They were charged for willfully attempting to pervert the course of justice.
It was alleged that on November 19, 2016, at Eve Leary, Georgetown, they contacted a Detective Corporal and offered him $4M in cash to forgo charges against the four murder accused, who were at the time in custody pending investigations into the matter.
The Berbice connection
Bisram, described as a multi-millionaire and the founder of the Marcus Brian Bisram Foundation, is said to have donated $2M to a Berbice community policing group late last year and pledged $200M annually to the needy of the Ancient County. It is alleged that Narinedatt was murdered between October 31 and November 1 at Number 70 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
He reportedly left Guyana when he was a teen. He is 28 now and would have spent his August 20 birthday in jail, pending his extradition hearings.
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