Multi-million Port Kaituma heist…Three remanded

Nov 14, 2013 News

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Three of the men who were arrested following the staged robbery in Port Kaituma from El Dorado Gold Trading Company were arraigned yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Yesterday, the courtroom of the Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry saw a heated battle between two high profile criminal lawyers and a State Prosecutor when Amerola “Iron Roller” Kudratulla, Anil Dhiram and Kenneth Garraway each faced indictable simple larceny charges.
The court heard that on November 10, at Blairmont, East Coast Berbice, Kudratulla had in his possession 16 bars of gold and a quantity of currency.
It is further alleged that on November 8, Kudratulla, Dhiram and Garraway at Port Kaituma stole 96 ounces of raw gold valued at $22M and $71M in cash from El Dorado Gold Trading Company headed by Tamesh Jagmohan.
Glenn Hanoman, the State Prosecutor, made an application for the matters to remain indictable. He told the court that Tamesh Jagmohan operates a business at Port Kaituma whose primary function is to purchase gold while Garraway is a boat captain who operates to and from Port Kaituma and Charity.
The court further heard that Garraway works with the company and is known to Kudratulla.  According to the prosecution, the principal offenders are not yet charged. But prior to the offence, the man referred to as the “mastermind” and Kudratulla planned to stage the robbery.
The Prosecution told the court that Kudratulla went to Port Kaituma on the boat and spent a few days carefully crafting the crime.
The court heard that they arranged for him to hide under a bed and later that evening he pounced on a coworker and proceeded to tie him up. The employee was allegedly lashed on his head with a gun and further beaten about the body.
Hanoman told the court that they then headed back to Charity on the Essequibo Coast after they made good their escape with the cash and raw gold.

According to the Prosecution, a considerable sum of money and gold was recovered by police ranks when the properties of Kudratulla and Garraway were checked.
The State Prosecutor then objected to bail. He said that there is a move to seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution to have the matter tried in Georgetown.
Investigations are currently being conducted in the North West District, Essequibo Coast, Demerara as well as Berbice.

The State Prosecutor told the court that a robbery of similar nature was conducted on the said company (El Dorado Trading) a few years ago. He stated that a murder resulted from that act and the police are currently investigating the similarities of the cases since the possibility exists that a murder charge may arise from the investigations.
The court also heard that there are unlawful wounding charges pending in the matter and that the Prosecution hopes to have the accused answer to all of the allegations that will arise from this issue.
Representing Garraway was Defence Attorney Nigel Hughes while Attorney at Law Tejnarine Ramroop represented both Kudratulla and Dhiram.
Hughes challenged the prosecution to disclose the amount of money and Prosecutor Hanoman contested that Garraway took the police to Blairmont and identified the persons he claimed keeps his money and the cash was soon discovered in a bag.
Hanoman used that opportunity to tell the court that Garraway had received $5.5M from Kudratulla, as part of the proceeds but further told the court that by the time the police retrieved the money there was more.
Hughes revealed that the principal suspect has repaid the employer $500,000 more than the sum claimed to have been stolen and demanded that the prosecutor explain the reason for the mastermind’s absence from yesterday’s court hearing.
The lawyer stated that the prosecution failed to disclose that the boat had two other passengers who were released because they seemed not to have any connection.

Both Ramroop and Hughes attacked the objection the prosecution brought forward about the clients being able to communicate with others if released on bail and stated that even though many are incarcerated, communication is still possible.
Hughes stated that the police obtained confessions from “black bagging” his client. Ramroop also said, “I am fearful that if my clients are kept in custody that they will continue to receive severe beating and torture.”
Hanoman told the court that Garraway (Hughes’ client) was in fact seen on the company’s Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system removing the items and further alleged that the $5.5M found is part of the loot.
Hughes sprung to his feet and requested that the prosecution defend their statements which implied that it is “peculiar for his client to be in possession of that amount of money.”
The State Prosecutor stressed that Garraway confessed that he had received the money for his participation in the heist and responded to the accusations of torture the Defence Attorneys had brought forward by making a request for the accused to be seen by a doctor.
Hughes accused the police of possessing a PHD in “extra ordinary human torture” and stated that the police within their medical facilities would be able to perform the examination and further questioned the validity as it was days after the accused were allegedly tortured.
When the Chief Magistrate addressed the court she first focused on the allegations of torture which were voiced in court and deemed that a medical examination was befitting the allegations.
Ramroop and Hughes however concurred that they will only accept one from a Special Psychiatrist who has years of experience and is versed with the effects of torture where “water boarding” and “black bagging” have been used for suffocation.
According to State Prosecutor Glenn Hanoman, additional charges will be presented to the accused and more people will be brought before the courts.
After the heated debate, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry refused bail and stated that the matter will be called again on November 22. She further ordered that a psychiatric evaluation be performed on the defendants. On this date also, it will be determined whether the matter would be transferred.

 

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