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Panday’s wife testifies in Bel Air heist

Jun 28, 2012 News

 

The trial against the seven persons accused of robbing businessman, Malcolm Panday at his Bel Air Park residence on July 12, last year, commenced at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday, before Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry.
Annie Ramsood, the businessman’s wife was the first witness to take the stand. She was led in her evidence-in-chief by special prosecutor, Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos. The woman was one of the victims who allegedly faced the gunmen on July 12, last year.
De Santos sought to establish background information from Ramsood as it pertained to herself and family.  He then questioned her about the day in question.
Fighting tears, Ramsood said that she was with her children when a gunman entered her house and told her “Don’t make noise or I will shot you.” She said that after rounding up all the persons in the home, including three maids and two office clerks, the gunman who now had an accomplice, proceeded to duct tape the lot.
By that time, Ramsood had already identified Rabindra Seemangal and Jermaine Mitchell as the two persons who entered her home. She also identified who had threatened her life and at what point.
Ramsood continued that the two accused ordered the family to hand over the money they had in the home. That, she said, was done after the accused threatened to kill everyone in the house. She said she then got up and led Mitchell into a room and gave him a disclosed sum of money which belonged to her. She said while there, Seemangal entered the room and asked about another safe where a larger sum of money is kept.
Ramsood said that she gave the robbers a reason for not being able to open the safe and that was when Seemangal attempted to hit her with the firearm. Ramsood said after a threat was made against her children’s life, she took the suspects to a room and using the code, she opened the safe and the robbers reportedly took $1M in local currency and US currency.
Ramsood said that afterwards, the men quickly escaped from the house in a waiting white motorcar. She said on the same day of the alleged incident she saw the accused again in a police vehicle at the Ocean Spray Hotel. Ramsood further said that she gave the police a statement, but omitted a phone call she received from her mother a short while before the men entered her home.
She said that her mother asked about the whereabouts of those in the home and that was something she did not normally do. She said that it was not until someone made the suggestion about her mother’s involvement in the crime that she started to connect the dots.
After a few more questions from the prosecutor about the statements given and what transpired at the Brickdam Police Station during the identification parade, Ramsood was available for cross examination.
She was not cross examined by either of the two lawyers that were present; Randolph Kirton and Omeyana Hamilton. The matter will be called again on July 3.
Malcolm Panday is expected to be the next witness.
Mother-in-law of the victim, Chandrada Rampersaud, Jermaine Mitchell, Hardat Kumar, Rayon Jones and Rabindra Seemangal are all charged with the robbery.
It is alleged that on July 12, at Bel Air they robbed Anne Ramsood of $7.4M, the property of Malcolm Panday. It is alleged that the persons also stole from Ramsood, one Blackberry Curve cell phone and $380,000 cash.
The police also said that Ramsood’s mother once worked at the victims’ home as a house keeper, but was fired. They alleged that she subsequently told a cousin about the money the Pandays kept in their house and conspired to rob the businessman’s home.
The trial commenced after one Seemangal who attempted to be a prosecution witness withdrew his guilty plea. He is now facing the charge with the other accused. Seemangal is still in the lock ups unable to post bail.

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