A recent turtle poaching case took another twist in the courts on Friday October 17, when six men who originally pleaded guilty to poaching charges reversed their pleas.

Appearing before Justice Ranjun Perera, a total of eight defendants, arrested in connection with a February incident at Providence in which police seized 38 bags thought to be filled with turtle meat, all pleaded not guilty to poaching charges, including counts for the illegal possession of turtle meat.

The reversal of their pleas will result in a new, joint trial for all eight of the accused.

The trial is expected to start on October 31, with the prosecution pushing for testimony to be heard as to the nature of the meat before it perishes or is disposed.

The plea reversals come after Justice D. Karunakaran, who originally heard the case, disqualified himself from the case on personal grounds and submitted it to Chief Justice Vivekanand Allear.

The Chief Justice then appointed Justice Perera to head up the new case. 

Justice Perera said per the law involved, a judge cannot make a ruling on a sentence if he did not preside over the original pleas.  With the guilty pleas now wiped off the record, the six defendants were able to plead not guilty along with their two counterparts.

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