A dry goods businessman told a Washington jury he was the person who negotiated with the kidnappers for the release of another businessman, Robin Ramadar. Timothy Semurath, 44, said when the negotiations started, the kidnappers wanted to be identified as "fast cars". Then that changed and they wanted to be known as '007'. Semurath testified on June 18 before Judge John Bates in the trial of seven Trinidadians charged with taking US citizen, Balram 'Balo' Maharaj, hostage. They were found guilty on July 31 and will be sentenced on February 12, 2010. Semurath said he had known Ramadar for 15 years. He said Ramadar was in the dry goods business, selling imported split peas and oils and rice and stuff like that. "I know him pretty well, we are close friends. In March 2005, Robin was involved in building a house in Aranguez for his parents. I know the Curry House, the house is two buildings down from there. "On March 4, 2005, I became aware that Robin had been kidnapped. His wife Angela called me on the phone.
I went to their home. When I got there, there were lots of people there, the immediate family, friends, neighbours. I played the part of the negotiator for the family to get back Robin. I spoke to someone on the telephone, but I had no idea who it was. "The people were calling, they were asking for ransom and I was trying to negotiate with them. They were asking for $3.5 million. I don't know if anyone else was negotiating for the family. I was at the Ramadars' house at all times during the negotiations. Eventually, a ransom was paid, it came from me. I put up $200,000 in cash." Semurath said the caller's code name was "fast cars, fast cars." According to the businessman, that was what the kidnapper wanted the family to identify him by. The kidnapper broke that trust and called somebody else, so the kidnapper had to change from "fast cars" to 007. Semurath said during the negotiations, he kept telling the caller he needed to talk to Ramadar.
"I wanted to make sure that Robin was alive. I was advised by the police that before we actually give anything, we have to know that Robin was alive. "We had been told that Robin was dropped off by Medical Associates in St Joseph. The kidnappers were telling me that I must tell the police and the press that no ransom was paid. I went on the scene where Robin was found. Both his hands and feet were tied, he was blindfolded, he was covered in smelly mud. He appeared very weak and he did not know who was around him. He was saying that he did not want us to remove the bandage from around his eyes, or the wire around his hands and foot for about half an hour. "He was then taken to the hospital, where he stayed for five or six days." Another witness, PC Nigel Bennett, assigned to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) for the past seven years, said he was involved in the investigations into the kidnapping of Dexter Jagdeo on December 16, 2004.
Bennett was assigned to the Negotations Operations Centre (NOC) which was set up at Jagdeo's home in Valsayn. That job lasted three days. While there, calls came in demanding a ransom for Jagdeo. "On December 21, 2004, I saw someone named Dexter Jagdeo. I was on duty at his residence when at 10.15 pm, he came walking into the home, into his home. He appeared dirty. He seemed frightened. He looked like he was ill-treated. He had blue black marks about his body, and he had scars like if something had cut his wrists. "His eyes were black, like someone who hasn't slept in days, and very weak. The blue black marks were on his upper chest, back and shoulders. I took him to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex to be examined by a doctor, to see that he was in good health, and to get whatever treatment that may be required at the time." Cross-examined by attorney Jonathan Zucker, Bennett said it was fair to say that Jagdeo was beaten.
Q: This was a negotiation where the ransom was paid in kilos of cocaine?
A: I cannot say, sir.
You don't know?
No.
Weren't you monitoring the negotiations?
Yes, sir.
And that included what was being demanded, right? The ransom demands?
Yes, sir.
And that included what was being offered. Correct?
Yes, sir.
But you don't know whether or not the ransom was paid in cocaine?
Not to my knowledge, sir.
Do you know if there was any attempt to determine whether or not Jason Percival was the person who made those calls?
Not to my knowledge, sir.
Bennett said the police tried to speak to Jagdeo after he was released from hospital, but he was not very cooperative at the time.
TOMORROW: The opening statement of the US Government