JASON PERCIVAL… mastermind behind the kidnapping

Sergeant Michael Seales told a Washington jury that soldier Ricardo De Four was spilling his heart out on what happened the day Balram “Balo” Maharaj was kidnapped.

He said De Four gave so much details, that it occupied at least seven pages of interview notes. Because it was 11 pm, Seales said he gave De Four the chance to get some rest and he would return the next day to take a cautionary statement. When Seales turned up the following day at the Barataria Police Station, attorney Larry Williams was visiting De Four. The detained soldier changed his mind and gave no statement. Seales, an attorney with 20 years’ experience in the Police Service, gave his evidence before Judge John Bates on June 25. Seven Trinidadians were found guilty on July 31 on charges of taking Maharaj hostage. They will be sentenced on February 12, 2010. Seales and PC Larry Lodhar arrested De Four at Defence Force Headquarters, Chaguaramas, on January 27, 2006. He took De Four to Police Headquarters and then to the Barataria Police Station. Later that night, he began an interview with De Four, under caution, and without a Justice of the Peace.

De Four, in the interview, said after the kidnapping of Maharaj, he returned to Mellow Moods Bar and bought a Malta. He did not know what was the ransom demanded. He said Jason Percival was handling that. He did not know how much money he was supposed to get. De Four said a week later, Percival called him and he went by the bar where he met Leon Nurse. There, Percival explained that Maharaj had died and that he had a plan to get rid of the body. De Four said he did not want any part of that so he and Nurse left. He said Percival told him that they would chop up the body. De Four said he was not present when that was done. He said he did not know of the previous plan to kidnap a woman’s child. He told Seales he was willing to give a cautionary statement. Seales said: “I asked De Four to take a rest and to relax himself and refresh himself, that I would return on the next day to have the statement recorded. It was after 11 at night and it was a very long day for De Four.”
Seales went back to the Barataria Police Station around 10 am on January 28, 2006. When he got to the station, he saw De Four sitting in an office with an attorney, Larry Williams.

“I explained to Mr Williams that De Four had co-operated with us the day before, and I think that he would have been co-operating the next day,” Seales said. “Seeing that he was going to be giving a statement, I wanted Mr Williams to see exactly what he may possibly say in this statement, so he would provide better advice to him. “I was extending a courtesy to Mr Williams at that point in time. Mr Williams indicated to me that Mr De Four was not willing to give a statement.” De Four confirmed that he was not giving a statement. Seales saw Justice of the Peace Abraham Ali in the police station. He was brought into the room where De Four and Williams were sitting. Seales gave a copy of the interview notes to Ali and then he left the room. Around 11.50 am, Williams left that room. Ali called the policemen into the room. He asked Seales a question. When he did that, Seales said De Four just sank a little bit in the chair. He did not look up. He looked down. He did not say anything. Under cross-examination by De Four’s attorney, Jonathan Zucker, Seales admitted that when he was at Defence Force Headquarters, De Four did not try and run and fight or argue. “He kept reassuring me that don’t worry, he is not going to try anything stupid,” Seales said. “When I arrested De Four, I told him that he was involved in a crime, the kidnapping of Maharaj. I did not know at the time that Percival was one of the sources of the information. I learnt later that he was part of what happened.”

“It is not true that I told De Four that it was a shame that Percival was going to be getting away with this, and that he (De Four), as a good soldier, was going to be prosecuted or take the fall. “I did not tell him that I believed Percival was really the bad actor or criminal in this. I never told him that I would look out for him if he helped me get Percival.”
Seales said he could not think what could have changed De Four’s mind to give a statement.

TOMORROW: Homicide Cop testifies in Washington