Despite being aware of a spike in kidnappings plaguing the country in 2006, central businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman and her immediate family did not see themselves as potential victims and took no special security measures to protect themselves.So said her husband Rennie Coolman as he continued his sixth day of cross-examination in the trial of 12 men charged with murdering her.
"We took normal precautions when we travelled but nothing out of the ordinary," Coolman said while being questioned by defence attorney Joseph Pantor.Coolman said before his wife was kidnapped outside their home at Lange Park, Chaguanas, on December 19, 2006, he had been closely following media reports on several kidnapping cases earlier that year.He said he knew that kidnapping was a possibility for his wife and her family because of their business interests but described his opinion as a "general feeling."
Pantor asked: "So the kidnapping of Vindra Naipaul-Coolman came to you as a complete shock?"Coolman said: "Yes."Coolman, who married his wife in July 2005 after a relationship of over eight years, claimed that through the general knowledge he acquired from media reports he was able to deduce that his wife was being kidnapped although he did not see the incident and only heard gunshots while hiding behind a wall in the house.
When asked if he felt that his in-laws were not at risk for kidnapping because they were not involved in any business ventures linked to crime, Coolman firmly said: "I don't know. I don't know. I wasn't involved in that process."Coolman had also explained he chose not to be involved in the negotiations after listening to the advice of his wife's family and the police.
Elaborating on the issue at Pantor's request yesterday, Coolman said he did not oppose the suggestion and was not angry when her family paid a $122,000 ransom the morning after the kidnapping."No. I did not react in any negative way. I was in a sense happy there was contact and there was an attempt to have her released based on a payment," Coolman said.
The continuous, repetitive and sometimes abrasive questioning, in his sixth court appearance since first taking the stand before Justice Malcolm Holdip earlier this month, appeared to have taken a toll on Coolman who sometimes gave short and sarcastic responses during yesterday's hearing.He will return to court this morning when Pantor resumes his cross-examination.
Who's in court
The dozen men before the jury and Justice Malcolm Holdip are: Allan "Scanny" Martin, twins Shervon and Devon Peters, siblings Keida and Jamille Garcia and their older brother Anthony Dwayne Gloster, brothers Marlon and Earl Trimmingham, Ronald Armstrong, Antonio Charles, Joel Fraser and Lyndon James. A 13th man, Raphael Williams, was charged with the crime but died in prison in 2011.
Legal team
Their legal team includes Ulric Skerritt, Joseph Pantor, Selwyn Mohammed, Lennox Sankersingh, Ian Brooks, Wayne Sturge, Mario Merritt, Richard Valere, Colin Selvon, Vince Charles, Christian Chandler, Delicia Helwig, Alexia Romero and Lana Lackhan. The prosecution team includes Senior Counsel Israel Khan, Gilbert Peterson and Dana Seetahal, who are being assisted by senior state prosecutors Joy Balkaran and Kelly Thompson.
