Cops nab ‘Jinga’ for 2014 shootout with GRA officers

Jun 28, 2018 News

Smuggler Harilall Motilall, called Jinga Harry”, will finally begin serving a two-year sentence for his involvement in a shootout in 2014 involving GRA officers.
Police said that Motilall, of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, was arrested yesterday afternoon at a police road block on Cove and John Public Road, East Coast Demerara.
The 56-year-old was given a four-year sentence in absentia in May 2016 for discharging a loaded firearm with intent in July 2014.
He will be escorted to prison to commence his sentence.
Motilall, who was labeled a major smuggler by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), was accused of shooting at GRA officers on the night of July 16, 2014.
The officers had intercepted a convoy of minibuses loaded with illegally imported chicken at Dundee, Mahaicony.
It is alleged that Motilall and others, using an AK-47 and other small arms, opened fire on the Customs Officers, injuring one of them.
At the initial court hearing, Police Prosecutor, Corporal Sheril Graham had objected to bail on the grounds that the offence was very serious in nature.
She told the court that the GRA officers, who were conducting a surveillance exercise, had intercepted three minibuses containing 150 boxes of chicken, for which no Customs papers could be produced.
The officers had taken possession of the keys for the vehicles, and the cell phones of the occupants were seized, when Motilall and three accomplices pulled up in a grey Toyota Allion.
The men exited and opened fire in the direction of the GRA officials, who were forced to retreat and take cover.
This allowed the men who were detained with the smuggled chicken to escape in several waiting motor vehicles.
The vehicle used by the GRA officials to conduct the exercise was badly riddled with bullets.
One of the GRA officers was wounded in his stomach.
Motilall was subsequently arrested and was positively identified by the GRA officials.
His attorney in her plea for him to be put on bail pending the outcome of his trial, had assured the court that he was not a flight risk and he would return to court to stand trial.
Magistrate Sueanna Lovell accepted the bail plea, but had ordered that Motilall surrender his passport to the authorities. The accused was placed on $350,000 bail and had to surrender his passport.
However, Motilall was not present for the four court hearings as his attorney, Kim Kyte-Thomas, reported to the court that he was unwell.
He was eventually sentenced in absentia to four years imprisonment in May, 2016.
Magistrate Lovell ordered that he must spend the first two years of his four-year sentence in prison while the other two years were suspended.
It means that if Motilall commits any offence after serving the mandatory two years, he will be sent back to prison to serve the other two years.
His Attorney had pleaded for the entire sentence to be suspended and that he pay compensation to the injured GRA officials.

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