Ex-Coast Guard ranks murder trial…Court hears accused waited for body to disappear under water

Jun 21, 2013 News

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-Sherwin Hart took cops to spot where victim was thrown overboard

By Latoya Giles
Members of the jury yesterday heard that it was Sherwin Hart who took the police to the spot where they had thrown Dweive Kant Ramdass’ body overboard and waited for it to disappear under the murky water of the Essequibo River. This piece of evidence was given by Corporal Labaichand Dyal, who is attached at the Leonora Police Station.
The witness was testifying at the Suddie High Court before Justice Franklyn Holder, in the trial of Sherwin Hart, Devon Gordon and Deon Greenidge, who are accused of killing Ramdass, a gold dealer.  Senior State Prosecutor Judith Gildharie Mursalin is presenting the case.

Dyal told the court that during the time of Ramdass’ death he was stationed at the Parika Station. He said that on August 20, 2009, relative to a report which was made at the station, he assisted with the investigations. Dyal said that he was a police photographer and a crime scene technician.
Dyal said that it was around 14:00hrs on August 21, 2009, that he was a member of a party of policemen that escorted the three accused – Sherwin Hart, Devon Gordon and Deon Greenidge – from the Parika Station to an area in the Essequibo River called Caiman Hole. Dyal said that they were travelling in a police boat.
The witness explained that when they arrived at Caiman Hole, the three accused pointed to an area in the river where they said that Ramdass’s body had been thrown and they had waited for it to disappear. Dyal said that no force was used on any of the three accused to do this. The officer said that he took pictures of the area. He said that he made checks around the same area for anything of evidential value, but found nothing. The party of policemen, according to Dyal, later returned to Parika.
The witness told the court that on August 22, 2009, at around 10:00hrs, he travelled again with a party of policemen, which was headed by Sergeant Lall. He said that it was some distance after Fort Island, in the water, that he observed the body of a human being, which was clad in “brown underwear”. Dyal said that he took pictures of the body in the water. He explained that there was another boat which had accompanied the police that was carrying civilians.
Dyal told the court that he turned over the body which was lying face down in the water. He said that Steve Persaud, Ramdass’ brother, was in the other boat and he identified the body. The witness said he then took more photos. He said that the body was placed in the boat and taken back to the Parika foreshore, then transported to the Lyken Funeral Home.
The witness told the court that he was present at the Georgetown Hospital mortuary, on August 23, 2009 at about 08:00hrs, when the body of Ramdass was again identified by his brother, Steve Persaud and uncle, Ramnaught Harrinaught. Dyal said that in his presence the doctor performed the post mortem examination, after which he gave him the cause of death. The body was later handed over to the family for burial which took place at Bartica on August 24, 2009.
Dyal testified that he had also witnessed a caution statement being taken from the sister of Devon Gordon, Vanda Adolphus, at the Parika Police Station. He further stated that he had taken pictures of money – a little more than five million dollars – at the Leonora Police Station and another portion of money totaling some $1.5m at La Grange Police Station. Dyal said that he also took pictures of the army Coast Guard boat which the three accused had been patrolling in.
Dyal said that on August 28, 2009, he developed and printed the photos, and later placed the police stamp on them. The man said he lodged the photos along with the negatives with the officer in charge at the Leonora Police Station. The photos were later shown to the court, including the jury. They were tendered as exhibits.
Under cross examination by attorney at law Latchmie Rahamat, it was suggested that the men had never pointed out where they threw Ramdass’ body, and that this was done by a police officer. Dyal denied this suggestion by the lawyer, stating that it was the accused who had pointed to the area.
Rahamat further suggested that if it was indeed her clients who showed the police the area, the police would have had what they said “word for word”. The witness responded by telling the court that he was not the one doing the investigation; that he went there as a photographer. The witness was asked whether he had counted the money which he had photographed and he replied in the negative.
He was also asked whether he knew if Vanda Adolphus had been charged, and he said he could not recall.
The next witness to take the stand yesterday was Paul Eastman, who was a security officer at the time of Ramdass’s death. Eastman along with Kurwin Chance had handed over some $17 million to Ramdass on August 20, 2009. He told the court that he and Chance had left their office in Georgetown to travel to Parika to hand over the money to Ramdass.
Eastman said that upon arriving at the Parika junction they waited in the car. He said shortly after that he saw a young East Indian  male approach the vehicle. He explained to the court that the man was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, hat and had on a pair of dark shades with a haversack on his back. He later learnt that the man was Dweive Kant Ramdass. Eastman said that the man came into the car, and gave him a quantity of gold which was wrapped up. Ramdass then collected a box covered with a black garbage bag that was in the car.
The witness said that they drove towards the stelling and Ramdass came out and headed towards the beach with the box which was placed on his shoulder. Eastman told the court that he left the area with Chance and headed for Georgetown. Eastman said while they were returning to the city his colleague, Kurwin Chance, made a call and from his facial expression he said that he knew something wasn’t right.
Eastman said they subsequently arrived back at the office and spoke with their boss. As a result of what they heard they returned to Parika. The witness said he and Chance had received certain information and thus had started asking questions. Eastman told the court that they went to the Parika Koker to get a boat. However before that happened they received a telephone call and aborted that plan, instead they went back to the Parika stelling. The witness said while there he saw two coast guard ranks whom he later learnt were Sherwin Hart and Deon Greenidge. He said that he recognized them as coast guards because of their uniforms – dark blue pants and a light blue shirt. He further told the court that it was Chance who went up to them and immediately asked what they had done with his friend (Ramdass). Eastman said that it was Sherwin Hart who responded and told them that Ramdass had paid them $12,000 to take him to Bonasika. The two men were later invited into the station.
Eastman said that he was in the station compound when Hart came outside and was talking on his cell phone. The witness said he and another young man headed towards the stelling area to look for Devon Gordon. He said that he later saw Gordon with a young lady with a bag.
Eastman said that like the others, Gordon was dressed in his coast guard uniform. The witness explained that he observed that the bag the woman was carrying appeared to be bulky. The woman and Gordon were apprehended and taken to the station. While there, an officer asked the woman to open the bag. Eastman said that when the woman complied, he saw a quantity of cash inside the bag.
Under cross examination, the suggestion was put to the witness that Hart never told him that he was paid $12,000 to take Ramdass to Bonasika. Eastman denied this and insisted that Hart told him that in the presence of Kurwin Chance.
The matter continues today.

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