Eighteen months after a trial date was set for the Customs House $10 million heist, the prosecution yesterday brought its first witness to testify.
However the witness’s testimony was cut short after repeated objections by one of the defence lawyers about the line of evidence that the witness was giving. It was later decided that the other lawyer, who was absent for unknown reasons, should be present so that he could hear the evidence and raise any objections if necessary.
Gerald Andrew Gilbert, 20, of Lot 14C of Shell Road, Kitty and Selwyn Bobb called `Brother’, 22, of Lot 3916 South Ruimveldt Gardens allegedly being armed with a gun on May 27, 2005 robbed Shawn Semple of $10,327,497, which belonged to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Nigel Williams, an employee of Customs House, testified yesterday that he has known the two defendants from the time he was employed at the Main Street branch of the GRA five years ago.
He said that on the day of the incident he was at the front desk when he saw the defendants speaking in the corridor.
Williams recalled that he approached the two and they engaged in conversation for about three minutes.
He stated that a young man approached them and Bobb asked Gilbert to ask him about the “thing”.
Gilbert and the young man, Williams told the court, later separated from them and went just outside the door.
He said that was about eight to ten 10 feet away from where he was standing. According to Williams, the door was open and he was looking at Gilbert when he overheard him asking the man about some gas.
As this point of the testimony Mark Waldron, who is representing Bobb, objected to the statement. Attorney-at-law Glen Hanoman who is defending Gilbert was absent yesterday.
Waldron told the court that he was objecting on behalf of his client. He had earlier told the court that he did not know where Hanoman was and his colleague had not instructed him to hold the matter for him.
The defence counsel asked the court if the case could be adjourned so that Hanoman could get the benefit of his notes.
Magistrate Hamilton subsequently adjourned the case to March 6.
On June 10, 2005 the two men were charged with the theft. They made an appearance before Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan and were remanded to prison. The matter was then assigned to Magistrate Bertlyn Reynolds and on June 22 they were each granted $90,000 bail.
The statements for the case were served in July and trial set in August 2005. Almost every month after this the magistrate announced a new date owing to different obstacles.
Police alleged that the duo while being armed with guns invaded Customs House on Main Street some time after closing hours when monies collected for the day were being taken up to the vault. A bag containing the cash was grabbed from Semple and the two then made good their escape.
Investigations were later carried out by police and the two defendants were arrested and charged.
