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Army Court martial…

May 24, 2008 News

Judge advocate to sum up case

Judge advocate Oslen Small, who is hearing the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) court martial, is expected to sum up the case for the jury’s consideration on Tuesday.
Arraigned at the court martial proceedings is Colonel Tony Ross who is defending charges of failure to ensure the safety of the arms store keys, instructing the issuance of weapons and instructing the establishment of an arms store bond.
Ross has maintained his innocence of four charges relating to prejudicial conduct.
On Monday, attorney-at-law Leslie Sobers wrapped up his defence with a final statement to the jury.
State Prosecutor Melissa Yearwood-Stewart made her closing address to the jury on Wednesday.
The jury will deliberate on Ross’s fate on May 27.
Sobers had called five witnesses including Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Benn and Captain Hubbard Rodney, to testify on Ross’s behalf.
Captain Rodney provided evidence of Ross’s character in addition to other material issues.
He also spoke of the fine working rapport which he shared with Ross.
Major R. Doodnauth and Warrant Officer Class Two, White, also took the witness stand on Ross’s behalf.
Ross has already made a more than one-hour unsworn statement about his innocence.
Ross was instructed to lead a defence shortly after Judge Advocate Small overruled no-case submissions.
Ross claimed that he was simply conducting his duties in a professional manner and had in no way compromised his portfolio.
Among those who testified are Colonel Mark Phillips, Colonel Lawrence Paul, Major Skeete, Staff Sergeant Rudolph Birch, Corporal Thomas and Warrant Officer W. Gordon.
Gordon said he took possession of the keys to the storage bond after following guidelines of the key retrieval system.
He disclosed that he was given an instruction from the commander to record the serial number of several weapons.
According to Gordon, he also received instructions about what to do with those numbers.
He added that he had complied with both instructions shortly before the weapons vanished.
Staff Sergeant Birch had testified about the contents of a meeting which was held after 33 high-powered weapons disappeared from the army.
He said that he was at a meeting and revealed information that came to his knowledge.
Birch was also questioned about Ross’s scope to make an inventory of the weapons.
Ross had allegedly requisitioned for the weapons to distribute to his platoon.
Colonel Paul testified about whether Ross was endowed with authority to record the serial numbers of the weapons.
Paul spoke of a highly restricted area and a lesser restricted area where the weapons and other items for storage were kept.

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