Sanjay Ramsood, the brother of the victim of last year’s $7.2 million Bel Air robbery, yesterday identified three of the men accused of the crime, saying he had followed them in a high-speed chase as they attempted a getaway.
Ramsood was at the time testifying before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the trial of his mother Chandraradha Rampersaud, his cousin Hardat Kumar, Jermaine Mitchell, and Rayon Jones, who are the remaining defendants in the robbery of Annie Ramsood.
The man, who is a taxi driver, recalled that he was at Cummings and Robb streets when he received a phone call from his wife, who informed him that his sister, Annie Ramsood, was just robbed. As a result, he sped to her residence at Bel Air Gardens, but he was diverted by two “Black Clothes” police officers at the head of Sheriff Street.
Ramsood decided to take another route to get to his sister’s house but on the way he spotted a white heavily-tinted “212” car, PKK 3700, which matched the description he heard on the transmission radio from the police officers and as a result he gave chase.
According to Ramsood, he was about 50 to 70 feet away from the car, which was heading to the Kitty Public Road, and an officer on a motorcycle was directly behind him the whole time.
Eventually, the chase ended at the Ocean Spray Hotel, where he said the men recognised him. They tried to drive out of the parkway but he blocked the hotel’s entrance with his car and the three men came out, he added.
Attorney Glenn Hanoman, who is the prosecutor in the trial, asked Ramsood to identify the men who came out of the vehicle and he pointed out Mitchell and Simon and gave a description matching that of Seemangal, who has pleaded guilty and was sentenced for his part in the crime. Seemangal was not present at the court yesterday.
Ramsood told the court that after the men came out of the car, the police arrived and he identified the men to them. A number of shots were subsequently fired and he took cover in his car. Mitchell, who he said had a gun in his possession, ran south while holding the weapon. Nonetheless, Ramsood added, he got into his car and chased the fleeing man, during which time the gun “fell out” of his hand. He said Mitchell later jumped into a trench and afterwards got out and continued to run, before being caught by public-spirited citizens in a nearby empty lot.
‘Sad’
Ramsood also testified that he went to his sister’s house in Bel Air to check on how she and her children were coping after the robbery. Later, after giving a statement to authorities, he contacted his mother, Rampersaud, to notify her that his sister was robbed. She sounded very cold over the phone, saying nothing, not even asking if her grandchildren were okay, he said. He added that he felt “sad” about her behaviour during the conversation.
Subsequently, at the Brickdam Police Station, Ramsood said, he met his cousin, Kumar, who told him that his mother was involved in the robbery. He added that later that night he saw Rampersaud but she said nothing.
Attorney Michael Somersall, who stands as one of the defence lawyers, asked Ramsood whether his mother could have been silent because she was in a state of shock. The witness responded by saying that he was unable to determine that.
Somersall then asked Ramsood if he recalled how long his mother was employed with his sister. Ramsood responded that she worked with her about three months but he could not recall if she was employed during July of last year.
Somersall also asked if he notified the police of Kumar’s implication of his mother in the crime, knowing that it was important evidence. Ramsood stated “no,” explaining that he had already given a statement to the police earlier in the afternoon.
‘I only drive them’
Detective Inspector Cedric Gravesande, who is attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Brickdam Police Station, also testified yesterday
He recalled the interrogation of Simon at the Brickdam Police Station, in the presence of Constable Jermaine Laundry. He said he introduced himself as a plain clothes officer and told Simon of the allegation against him. According to him, Simon said, “I only drive them,” at which point he was cautioned before the statement was recorded in writing.
He read from the statement provided by Simon: “At the time I was a student at UG and I had a car. And a night Jermaine call me and said that he need somebody to drive him and some other boys fah rob somebody.”
After he read it, Simon signed the statement, while Laundry also signed as witness, he said. Gravesande maintained that at no time during the recording of the statement did he or Laundry or any other officer use any force or make any promises to get a statement from Simon.
Simon, who viewed the statement, said that the words in the statement were correct, but he claimed the five signatures were not his. He explained that normally when he signs he just uses his initials rather than write his name like in the statement shown to him. He was also shown the case jacket, which he also signed and he confirmed that it was his signature.
The accused are charged with robbing Ramsood of $1.4 million and US$29,000 (equivalent to $5.8 million), totalling $7.2 million as well as a BlackBerry Smartphone and a quantity of cash, amounting to $427,000 in total.
The trial will continue today in Court One at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
