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RAMPERSAUD'S THIRD TRIAL ENDS IN A NOT GUILTY VERDICT

1977 December 16, 00:00 (Friday)

1. THE 19 DAY THIRD TRIAL ON CHARGES OF MURDER OF CORENTYNE TAXI DRIVER AND OPPOSITION PEOPLE'S PROGRESSIVE PARTY (PPP) ACTIVIST ARNOLD RAMPERSAUD ENDED ON DEC 14 WITH THE JURY RENDERING A NOT GUILTY VERDICT. RAMPERSAUD'S FIRST TWO TRIALS HAD RESULTED IN HUNG JURIES. AFTER A SIX HOUR SUMMA- TION OF THE EVIDENCE BY JUSTICE GEORGE POMPEY, THE JURY DELIBERATED FOR THREE AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE REACHING ITS DECISION. WILD CHEERING FROM RAMPERSAUD'S SUPPORTERS BROKE OUT WHEN THE DECISION WAS ANNOUNCED.

2. RAMPERSAUD HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH THE MURDER OF CONSTABLE JAMES HENRY ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 18, 1974. (HENRY WAS A GUARD AT THE NUMBER 62 TOLL GATE. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TOLL GATES ON THE CORENTYNE HIGHWAY HAD BEEN OPPOSED BY THE PPP.) AS THE CASE HAS DRAGGED ON,  THE PPP HAS FOCUSED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION ON IT AND RAMPERSAUD'S TRIALS HAVE PROVIDED THE OPPOSITION WITH A CHANCE TO CHARGE THE GOG WITH VIOLATIONS OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. CASE HAD ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, WHOSE REPRESENTATIVE, PROFESSOR DAVID WEISSBRODT OF THE UNIV. OF MINNESOTA, WAS PRESENT IN GEORGETOWN FOR PART OF RAMPERSAUD'S LATEST TRIAL. BURKE