DPP withdraws application to forfeit $9M from Dataram’s brother

Sep 13, 2017 News

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has withdrawn an application filed last year November to forfeit $9M, suspected to be proceeds from a criminal enterprise, belonging to Troy Dataram, the brother of convicted drug trafficker Barry Dataram.
A request to have the matter withdrawn was made by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dionne McCammon, yesterday, before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Magistrate Latchman dismissed the matter.
The dismissal comes nearly two months after Chief Justice (Ag) Roxanne George-Wiltshire ordered the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) to return the monies to Troy after his lawyer, Glenn Hanoman, filed a civil action in the High Court. The money was returned to Troy and “no longer” exists since it has already been spent, according to Hanoman.
Last month, McCammon disclosed that the DPP had appealed the acting Chief Justice’s order and that the state will still proceed with the application pending the outcome of the appeal.
However, yesterday McCammon said that the Attorney General Chambers was unable to file an appeal and did not give a reason.
SOCU had seized 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.
An application to forfeit the money was filed before Magistrate Latchman on November 14, 2016, during which McCammon said that the DPP was pursuing the matter at the Magistrates’ Courts under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act.
Barry and Troy Dataram were listed as the defendants.
But Hanoman contended that the Magistrates’ Courts had no jurisdiction to seize cash and that the matter should be heard in the High Court. During the proceedings in the Civil Matter at the High Court, Hanoman contended that the money belonged to Troy Dataram and was in no way connected to the drug bust.

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