Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 29, 2016 News
…claims senior cop wanted him to be informant
Some damning accusations were made against police officers attached to the Criminal Investigation
Department (CID) headquarters, Eve Leary, by robbery accused Anthony David when the trial of the five men charged with robbing Land Court Judge Nicola Pierre continued.
A well attired Anthony David took to the witness box, yesterday, and claimed that he was framed by head of Major Crimes Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mitchell Caesar. He said that he was framed in relation to charges of robbery under-arms and discharging a loaded firearm.
The charges against David stemmed from a robbery committed on Land Court judge, Nicola Pierre, at her home in the gated community of Felicity, East Coast Demerara on July 9, last.
David told the court that Caesar “set him up” as a favour to another officer whose name he gave as Narine.
Narine, he said, told him that he wanted to see him rot in jail.
David told Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul that he was at home on July 8, 2015 but left home early the following morning to take his young daughter to the hospital. He recalled that on July 14, 2015 as he was placing posters in front of his work place on Sheriff Street, where he had worked for over a decade, police officers arrived and requested to search his Toyota Allion motorcar.
“I asked them why you would want to search a parked vehicle. They said they wanted to do a normal routine search. They searched the car and didn’t find anything. Then officer Narine said this vehicle has to be taken down to the station.”
David added that he was transported to CID headquarters where he was placed in the lock-ups until July 18, 2015. On that day, the defendant stated that he was slapped and cuffed by Officer Melville and Narine while Caesar sat and did nothing to help him.
Caesar, he stated, offered him a job to work as an “informant” for the police but he refused.
David told the court that the ASP told him he looked like the type of person who has his head on. According to him, Caesar explained to him that his job would be to call him on his personal phone and notify him when a “crime goes down”.
But David testified that he told the ASP that he was satisfied with his job as a bond clerk at a city pharmacy since he was collecting a salary every month.
David said that Caesar ordered other officers to place him back in the lock-ups because he was not telling him what he wanted to hear.
On July 18, David recalled that Caesar told him that he would be placed on identification (ID) parade and would be sent home if he was not pointed out.
“I did 11 ID parades and was not pointed out on any. So I ask him (Caesar) if I was not going to get my car to leave.”
However, David stated that Caesar replied no and told him that he was given permission to keep him in custody for another 72 hours. David stated, “Monday morning (July 20, 2015) around 9:30 am they (police) came and took me back to CID. Narine came and told me that I would be going home.”
Instead of being released, the defendant related that he was shackled and handcuffed and taken to a city court. He recounted that Narine told him that he wanted him to “see what jail look like” and refused to tell him what offences he was being charged for.
Under cross examination by Special Prosecutor Nigel Hughes, David explained that he had no problems with the police and was unaware of why they wanted him to go to jail. When prosecutor Hughes asked him how long he had the vehicle, David disclosed that he was given the car two months before his arrest as a birthday present. He added that the car is still impounded at CID.
Prosecutor Hughes also asked the witness if he had informed his lawyer about what the officers did to him. In response, David said that he did not do so and pointed out that he was having a difficult time retaining an attorney at first.
The defendant recounted that he spent six days in police custody and was only able to see his reputed wife after he was charged and remanded to Camp Street prison for the offences.
Thereafter, Attorney Adrian Thompson declined to re-examine the witness and informed the court that his client’s reputed wife, Shanella Lee will be called as a witness.
This trial will continue on May 3, in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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