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CJ orders SOCU to return seized $9M Dataram’s brother
Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George, last month, granted an order instructing the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) to return $9M it had seized from Troy Dataram, the brother of convicted drug trafficker, Barry Dataram.
Troy Dataram and Barry Dataram
Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the money has already been returned.
The CJ’s order comes nine months after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was granted permission by Magistrate Judy Latchman to forfeit the monies which were suspected to be proceeds from a criminal enterprise, belonging to the brothers.
Sometime after, Attorney-at-Law Glenn Hanoman, who represented the brothers, filed an action in the High Court challenging the grounds for which SOCU had seized the cash.
It was reported that the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) was in possession of the money after it was found by Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) ranks during the raid of a house occupied by Barry Dataram at 661 Fourth Avenue, Block ‘X’ Diamond, East Bank Demerara, on April 16, 2016. CANU ranks also unearthed some 100 pounds of cocaine during the raid.
However, Kaieteur News was informed that the money was found in Troy Dataram’s home, several months after the raid. Law Enforcement officials had suspected that the money was acquired by Dataram, who had given his brother to keep.
During the High Court proceeding, several arguments were raised by Hanoman and lawyers from the Attorney General’s Chambers which represented the state.
Hanoman contended that the $9M belonged to Troy Dataram, and was in no way connected to the drug bust. The Chief Justice ruled in favour.
The matter, for which an application was granted to the DPP to forfeit the money by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, came up yesterday, during which Magistrate Latchman and Attorney-at-Law Dionne McCammon, Deputy DPP, said that they were both unaware of the Chief Justice’s order.
McCammon explained that she was not aware of the order since Attorneys-at-Laws from the DPP’s chambers were not involved in the High Court matter. The court was enlightened of the order by Hanoman who stated that he had served a copy to the Magistrate’s clerk. Nevertheless, Magistrate Latchman adjourned the matter until August 14, for reports.
Barry Dataram is currently serving a 60-month jail term after he was found guilty by Magistrate Latchman of narcotics trafficking, over the cocaine bust. He was also fined $164M.
Dataram is also serving another jail term of two years and 24 months after pleading guilty to charges of attempting to defeat the administration of justice; forging a Republic of Guyana Passport and departing Guyana without presenting himself to immigration officers.
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