– detective testifies
A police detective yesterday testified that Hardat Kumar, one of the five persons accused in the July 12, 2012 $7.2 million Bel Air heist, confessed that it was the mother of their victim who orchestrated the robbery.
As the trial continued yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Detective Constable Rondel Gouveia, who is attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said that Kumar confessed via a caution statement that Annie Ramsood’s mother, Chandra Ramprashad, planned the robbery.
Kumar, Ramprashad and Jermaine Mitchell, Aubrey Simon and Rayon Jones are charged with robbing Ramsood of $1.4 million and US$29,000 (equivalent to $5.8 million), totalling $7.2 million. They were also accused of robbing Ramsood of a BlackBerry Smartphone and a quantity of cash, valued $427,000 in total.
Another accused, Rabindranauth Seemangal, admitted to his part in the crime last week and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
Gouveia, who said that he assisted with the investigation, recalled that after the robbery he was present at the Brickdam Police Station, when Police Constable Jermaine Laundry contacted Seemangal and told him that based on information he had received, he along with some others robbed Ramsood.
Gouveia told the court that Laundry then cautioned Seemangal, who said, “Is ma fren Hardat give meh de wuk and I gon tell yah how.”
Subsequently, Gouveia contacted Kumar at a Kitty address and told him he had received information that he along with others had robbed Ramsood. But Kumar, who was identified in court by Gouveia, remained silent when he was confronted with the allegation. As a result, he was then arrested and taken to the CID.
According to Gouveia, he took Kumar to the Brickdam Police Station, where during an interview he told the detectives that he desired to give his side of the story.
He stated that during the interview Kumar told the detectives “I gon tell yah wah happen: Annie mother give we de wuk.” At this point, he said Kumar was stopped and asked if he wanted the information put down in writing or orally recorded. As a result, Kumar is reported to have told the detectives that he wanted the statement in writing.
Special prosecutor Glenn Hanoman asked Gouveia if Kumar was cautioned on the same allegation, to which Gouveia responded “yes”.
Kumar was then told that he could give his statement in writing and Gouveia added that he was elected to do so. Gouveia explained that he cautioned Kumar, telling him that he had the right to have his attorney or a family member present when such statement would have been given to the authorities, but he said Kumar refused. As a result, with the assistance of Kumar, he said he took the relevant statement, which the accused was given to read before signing. Laundry, who was present during the interview, signed as a witness.
Gouveia swore to the court that at no time when Kumar was giving his statement was he or anyone assaulted, or promised a plea bargain.
Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, who is presiding over the trial, asked the accused if they had any questions after Gouveia gave his statement. At this point, Mitchell stood up and said that he had no connections with robbery.
The case will resume today at 1 pm in Court One.
