PHILIPSBURG--The man who is held responsible for the hit-and-run accident that cost the life of entrepreneur and former Rotary president Ramesh Manek on April 16 will be standing trial on October 7, it was announced Wednesday in a preliminary hearing.
Manek was jogging on Airport Boulevard near Thrifty car rental around 7:00am when he was struck by a black Hummer that drove off at speed after hitting him. Bystanders came to his assistance and paramedics attended, but nothing could be done to save him. He left behind a wife and three children.
Suspect K.M.C. (31) turned himself in to authorities one day after the incident and was arrested immediately and taken into custody.
Prosecutor Nanouk Lemmers announced Wednesday that C. would be charged with manslaughter and the lesser count of wrongful death while driving under the influence.
The hearing was postponed on the request of attorney-at-law Eldon Sulvaran. As he is currently in Germany, his associate at Sulvaran and Peterson law office Paula Janssen filed several requests on behalf of the defence.
One of these requests concerned the return of the vehicle that was involved in the accident. The black Hummer, which was damaged in the front, is the property of the suspect’s father, who is the owner of Platinum Room in Maho. The vehicle had been confiscated for further investigation.
The Prosecutor’s Office objected to returning the vehicle to its owner, as it is considered a murder weapon. The Judge said a decision would not be made until October.
Janssen further indicated that the defence would be contesting that the defendant had been under the influence. She requested the hearing of several Platinum Room employees and their employer to testify that drinking at the workplace is not allowed in the establishment. The suspect worked there the night before the incident.
As intoxication is an aggravating circumstance, the defence also requested additional investigations by Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) concerning the suspect’s blood-alcohol level.
Janssen also sought access to video-camera images taken by car rental surveillance cameras along Airport Boulevard that could shed more light on the circumstances of the accident and, for instance, the speed with which the vehicle had been moving.
The defence also wanted the court to survey the scene of the incident, but the Judge did not deem this necessary, as the magistrate resides on the island and therefore is very well aware of the local situation.
The Prosecutor announced that the victim’s family wanted to address the court concerning their loss. The defence made objections, but the judge said she might allow such a statement as long as it did not include remarks concerning the suspect or the punishment.
The suspect currently is not held in pre-trial detention, but has to adhere to several requirements, such as reporting to the Parole Board, Turning Point rehabilitation centre and Mental Health Foundation.
Attorney Janssen stated that her client also had been seeing a psychologist since the incident. She informed the court that she would submit a report of the psychologist’s findings.
