Prosecutors intend to charge a second man with manslaughter in connection with the deadly Dec. 6, 2010 Paraquita Bay crash of a speedboat carrying Haitian migrants, Crown Counsel Valston Graham said in Magistrates’ Court Friday.
The first man charged, Roro Edourne, is said to be a Haitian national who had been residing in St. Maarten.
Mr. Edourne is alleged to have captained the boat, and is currently charged with eight counts of manslaughter, smuggling migrants and having an unsafe conveyance. He appeared in court Friday, along with Renold Plaisimond, who currently faces migrant smuggling and unsafe conveyance charges in connection with the incident.
“We intend to charge Mr. Plaisimond jointly with Mr. Edourne with respect to the charges of manslaughter,” Mr. Graham said in court, adding, “Further investigation alleges that he was a conspirator in the smuggling of the immigrants, and given those developments we consider it appropriate that a similar charge be made against him.”
See the March 24, 2011 edition for full coverage.