THREE more witnesses are expected to testify for the State in the judge-only trial of the two men indicted for the murder of six-year-old Sean Luke, after which prosecutors are expected to close their case.

At a brief trial management session on Wednesday, it was agreed that the evidence of eight prosecution witnesses – mainly police officers and a justice of the peace who witnessed an interview of one of the accused men – which was led at an earlier pre-trial session of the trial will be incorporated into the main trial.

The eight had given evidence at the pre-trial stage (voir dire) when the defence challenged evidence the State had intended to lead at the men’s main trial.

When the trial resumes next week Wednesday, three police officers who were part of the police’s investigations into the boy’s murder will be cross-examined by the defence.

They, too, had given evidence at the voir dire but are required to be brought back for further questioning by the defence.

They are officers Rodney Mohammed, Azim Hamid and retired Sgt Alexis Garcia, who questioned Richard Chatoo at the homicide division offices in San Fernando in 2006.

Chatoo and his co-accused Akeel Mitchell are before Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds charged with Luke’s murder on a date unknown, between March 25 and 29, 2006, in Couva.

Luke’s body was found in a sugar cane field near his home at Orange Valley Road in Couva in March 2006. The six-year-old had been sodomised with a sugar cane stalk that ruptured his intestines and internal organs.

Returning on Wednesday to complete his testimony was Dr Maurice Aboud, laboratory director at the Caribbean Forensic Services – a private lab that has received permission to perform DNA tests for the State.

In previous testimony, Aboud said based on the tests he did on several exhibits provided by the police to the lab, Mitchell’s DNA profile was found on the underwear the six-year-old was wearing when he was murdered, while there was an unknown profile which could not be matched to either accused or Luke.

Aboud also testified that Chatoo was not linked to the mixed sample.

On Wednesday, Aboud was questioned briefly by Mitchell’s attorney Randall Raphael on the steps of the DNA testing he did.

He was also questioned about his fees, but Aboud said he could not recall the quotation he sent to the State for the work done.

He also admitted he had not yet been paid.

“There was a quotation sent out based on work to be performed. The initial request was for a smaller number of exhibits. I cannot recall the exact quotation,” Aboud said, adding that additional samples will attract additional fees.

“I can’t say what the total cost would be to the State,” he said, also admitting, “I do not know if I would be paid for the additional samples.

As to provide an approximate base fee for one item tested, Aboud said it would be $3,000.

According to a list he provided to the court, he was given 15 items to tes