June 13 start date for PI into receiving articles stolen from slain gold dealers

The preliminary inquiry (PI) into the charge against the two men accused of receiving articles stolen from slain Bartica gold dealers is now fixed to commence on June 13.

The PI into the charge against policeman Marlon Letlow and Linden Scotland was originally scheduled to start on Monday. However, prosecutor Stephen Telford made a successful application for an adjournment, in order to have the witnesses summoned. He, however, indicated that the prosecution was ready to move forward with the proceedings.

The charge arose from the allegation that the duo aided and abetted Rawle Newton, who is accused of murdering Bartica gold dealers Jainarine Raghubir and Ramdeo Deonarine.

The jointly charged Letlow and Scotland were subsequently charged with receiving $1.2M and a gold chain valued $266,000, knowing same to be stolen or unlawfully obtained, from Newton on September 14, 2010 at Georgetown. Letlow and Scotland, who both know Newton, allegedly received information that he had murdered Raghubir and Deonarine and took $1.2 million from him along with jewellery belonging to the deceased. The men denied the charge and have since been admitted to bail in the sum of $100,000 each.

They have also been charged, along with Michael Newton, with receiving, relieving, comforting, assisting and maintaining Rawle Newton, sometime between September 5 and September 16, at Georgetown, after he allegedly murdered Raghubir and Deonarine. A fourth person, Kim Bumbury, was also accused of the offence but the charge was withdrawn upon the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

On September 20 last year, Rawle Newton was charged with murdering the two gold dealers at Bartica. Both men’s throats were slit.