Two Former T&T Soldiers On Murder Charges

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, June 21, (CMC) – Two former members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) will return to court, on July 5, after making a brief appearance before a city magistrate on charges of murder.

Julius “Demo” Balondemu and Ross Russell appeared before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar, charged with four criminal offences, including the murder of 28-year-old Selwyn Gaff, two weeks ago.

The court heard that the former soldiers, who were discharged from the TTDF last Monday, allegedly killed Gaff in the Macqueripe forest, west of here.

According to the charge, the men “on June 5, 2016, at Covigne to Macqueripe on the trial range between Diego Martin and Chaguaramas, together with another person”, murdered Gaff.

In addition to the murder charge, Balondemu and Russell, are also charged with possession of arms and ammunition and shooting at Jesse Quashie with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Those offences were also alleged to have taken place on the same date and location as that of the murder.

The two former soldiers were not called upon to plead to the indictable charges.

But during the court appearance, one of the attorneys told the court that his client had provided police with an alibi regarding his location on the day the murder took place.

Gaff, who lived at Savannah Road, Diego Martin, west of here, had gone into the forest with three other people. Police said the following day they found him with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken to the St. James Medical Facility for treatment, but was pronounced dead on arrival.