Trio to go on trial next month over illegal aircraft landing at Lethem

Apr 22, 2018 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Hutshan Ramsingh

The three men, who were charged last year for allegedly facilitating the illegal landing of an aircraft at Lethem, are expected to go on trial from May 18, before Magistrate Alan Wilson at the Lethem Magistrate’s Courts.
The prime suspect 44-year-old Hutshan Ramsingh, called Seon Singh, a businessman of Tabatinga Lethem; Nathan Hamilton, 21, of Lot 107 Beverley Hills Drive, Lethem; and Wazim King, 37, also of Lethem, have denied the charge which alleges that between August 10, 2017 and August 13, 2017 at Mandacoro Island Savannah, Santa Fe, Lethem, they conspired with persons known and unknown to facilitate the illegal landing of an aircraft suspected to be involved in trafficking in narcotics and firearm, in an unauthorized port of entry.
Ramsingh was remanded to prison after his first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on December 18, 2017. However, two weeks later he was released on $1M bail by Justice Brassington Reynolds before whom his Attorneys-at-Law renewed a bail petition.
According to reports, the illegal aircraft and airstrip were discovered on August 13, 2017 about 10 miles from Santa Fe. Kaieteur News understands that the airstrip which was discovered previously was destroyed by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

Nathan Hamilton and Wazim King

Hamilton and King, who at the time were employees of Ramsingh, were allegedly hired and paid to rehabilitate the illegal airstrip. It is believed that the plane, said to be a Brazilian-registered one, and the airstrip, were being used for illegal activities. The plane has a similar registration number to an aircraft owned by a bank in neighbouring Brazil. Last October, Minister of State Joseph Harmon revealed that persons from Brazil claimed that the aircraft was stolen. The plane was handed over to the army and police had reportedly seized the front end loader.
Ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, confiscated two passports belonging to a Colombian and a Brazilian that were found on the illegal Beechcraft twin-engine plane. It is believed that the travel documents belong to two of the persons who managed to escape when police and others were closing in.
A quantity of dry rations, medical supplies, clothing, footwear, two hand-held radios, flashlights, cellular phones were also found during initial inspection.

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