TWO police officers have appeared before a High Court master charged with the murder and kidnapping for ransom of Central used-car dealer Sachel Kungebeharry.

Acting Cpl Ashraf Mohammed, 45, of Ramgoolie Trace North, Chin Chin, and Jason Dan Michael, 34, of Francis Lalla Road, Charlieville, appeared before Master Magaret Sookraj-Goswami on October 11.

The murder charge against them alleges that the two, along with someone unknown, murdered Sachel “Pablo” Kungebeharry on a day unknown between September 24 and October 4.

The second charge alleges they misbehaved in public office in the kidnapping for ransom of Kungebeharry at Jerningham Railway Road, Endeavour, Chaguanas, on September 25.

They have been remanded into custody unless their attorneys make a bail application.

They were charged by acting Sgt Lawrence Joefield of the Professional Standards Bureau.

Neither officer was permitted to plead since the charges against them are indictable. They were given notice they had 28 days to file an alibi notice and the master did a verification exercise on the two, who appeared before her virtually from the Besson Street police station, Port of Spain.

Joefiled told the master only preliminary disclosure had been made to the defence, and the police had 32 statements in hand with 15 outstanding from its 40 witnesses. He also said the police evidence, apart from the statements, also included photographs, CCTV footage and search warrants.

Sookraj-Goswami directed the police to submit their file to the Director of Public Prosecution by December 18 so an indictment could be filed by March 27, 2025.

She also gave directions for the prosecution and defence to file evidence, including evidential objections, before a status hearing on October 29, 2025.

A sufficiency hearing has been set for November 7, 2025, and Sookraj-Goswami advised both sides to abide by the timeframes or file applications for extensions before the sufficiency hearing.

Attorneys Shiva Boodoo and Roshni Balkaran represented the two.

Boodoo asked about a cell phone taken from Mohammed’s wife and a car taken from Michael’s home. He was told the items would be returned after police received the results of tests on them.

The two, who were said to have been assigned to the Caroni police station, were charged on October 11, after officers received advice from Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC.

On October 8, a third suspect also held in connection with Kungebeharry’s abduction and murder, was released on the advice of the DPP’s office.

Kungebeharry, 32, of Pierre Road, Felicity was kidnapped on September 25, after a marked police car with flashing blue lights intercepted the car he was in at Endeavour Road Extension, Chaguanas at around 5 pm.

He was bundled into the police vehicle by three men, two of whom were dressed in what appeared to be police tactical uniforms.

They reportedly searched Kungebeharry and told him they had a warrant for his arrest. The two other men were left unharmed.

On September 29, the family