Ex-Coast Guard ranks murder trial…“We all decide fuh kill de man and tek de money”

Jun 19, 2013 News

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…as more chilling details revealed in statement

By Latoya Giles
Members of the jury in the Dwieve Kant Ramdass murder trial yesterday heard that all three of the accused, ex-coast guard ranks, decided to “kill de man and tek de money”. This development occurred as Police Sergeant Naraine Lall read the caution statement of Devon Gordon. Lall testified that he was the officer who took the statement from Gordon, at the Leonora station.

Gordon, Sherwin Hart, and Deon Greenidge are all charged with the 2009 murder of the Bartica gold miner. The trial is being presided over by Justice Franklyn Holder at the Suddie High Court.
The witness explained that he told Gordon of the allegation that on August 20, 2009, at Caiman Hole, Essequibo River, he along with his two colleagues murdered Ramdass and took the money he was carrying. Lall told the court that the statement was given freely by the accused, without any violence towards Gordon before, during or after.
According to the statement, which was read to the court by Lall, Gordon had told the police that he had only been a solider for about a year and a half. Gordon said that he was stationed at the coast guard section and was doing patrol work, which was mainly the stop and search of vessels.
It was between 13:00hrs and 14:00hrs on August 20, 2009, that he, Hart and Greenidge were on patrol. He said that they were doing searches with the coast guard boat. Gordon had stated that Hart drove the boat to Parika. He said he observed Hart speaking to an East Indian man while at Parika.
The man later joined them on the coast guard boat and they moved off from Parika. It was noted in Gordon’s statement that the man was carrying a “brown box”. Gordon said when they were in the middle of the river, Hart stopped the boat and told them the man had “nuff money” in the box. Gordon in his statement said that all three of them decided to “kill the man” and “tek de money”. Gordon also said that he did not see who threw Ramdass’s body overboard, but just heard a splash.
He said that they divided the money and he called his sister “Vanda” from Sophia to come and collect his share. Gordon said that he gave a canter man the money to give his sister, however, soon after they all got arrested, including his sister. In the statement, Gordon said that he was sorry he had gotten involved in the matter.
The witness (Lall) continued to tell the court that on August 21, around 14:00hrs, he and a party of policemen which was headed by Deputy Superintendent Terrance Paul escorted the three men from the Leonora Police Station to Parika.
At Parika, Lall said that they all joined a police vessel and went to Caiman Hole/ Mouth which is located in the Essequibo River and approximately 18 miles from Parika.
When they arrived at the spot, Lall said that all three of the men individually pointed to where Ramdass was allegedly thrown overboard.  Lall said that checks were made to locate Ramdass’s body, but it was not found. The officer said that the area was photographed by one Corporal Dyal. The men were later returned to the Leonora station.
On August 22, around 06:00hrs, Lall said that he received a telephone call from one “Trandicka” a farmer from Fort Island, who told him something.
Lall told the court that as a result of what he was told, at about 10:00hrs on the same day he along with a party of policemen and Steve Persaud, the brother of Ramdass, went to Fort Island.
Upon arriving at Fort Island, Lall said that he saw a body floating in the water. The body was about a half mile away from Caiman Hole. The body was identified by Steve Persaud. The witness further told the court that when Ramdass’s body was found it was only clad in a “brown brief” and it was partly decomposed.
Lall explained that he had tried to examine the body for marks of violence, but due to the state of decomposition he was unable to. He said that the body was photographed and taken to the mortuary for a post mortem examination.
Under cross examination by attorney at law Latchmie Rahamat, Lall denied that he had used any force against the men.
The witness was questioned as to where he had received the details of the case so that he could have put the allegation to Gordon before the statement was taken. Lall responded that he had been given the details by Deputy Superintendent Paul.
The witness admitted that he did not see any proof that Ramdass was dead when he put the allegation to Gordon. The witness was further asked whether he had made any record of what transpired during the investigation, to which he said yes.
The lawyer then made a request for the station diary for August 2009 to be presented to the court.
Rahamat suggested to the witness that he had forced Gordon to sign the statement without allowing him to read what was written. Lall denied this suggestion by the lawyer.
Rahamat further suggested to the witness that the caution statement which he read from Gordon was not written how the accused speaks. However Lall maintained that it was Gordon who spoke and it was his own words.
The lawyer closed her cross examination by suggesting to the witness that his entire evidence about Gordon was a fabrication. Lall denied this allegation.

Missing charge sheet…
Yesterday also, the court heard from Deputy Superintendent of Police Terrance Paul, that a charge sheet from the Leonora police station could not be located. The defence had made the application last week to have the document produced in court to verify evidence. Paul was questioned by prosecutor Judith Gildharie-Mursalin yesterday when he disclosed that he had followed instructions and searched for the document.
Paul explained he, along with ranks, conducted searches, but the book was not located. He said that the book is usually kept in a cupboard at the Leonora police station. He was asked whether there is a system to keep track of the charge sheets which were sent to court.
According to Paul, he is unaware of any such system, he explained that if a rank makes a request for the charge sheet, if it is located it would be given to the person. He continued to state that if it is not in use it would be placed in the cupboard, which is accessible by all ranks, since it does not have a key.
Under examination by attorney Rahamat, Paul was questioned about the standard operating procedures of the police which state that a charge sheet has to be kept for at least ten years.
The witness said that he was not aware of that, noting that the charge sheet had been “misplaced”. The matter will continue today.

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