The warrants had been issued for police inspector Trevor Reid and Atma Rajaram, the internal audit manager, who had to continue, giving evidence. The warrants were recalled when they subsequently turned up.
The case has been plagued with delays during the two years it has been before the court. When the matter was called, special prosecutor attorney-at-law Sonia Parag, who is appearing in association with attorney-at-law Huckumchand, indicated that none of the witnesses was present to take the stand.
As a result Magistrate Azeez issued arrest warrants for the two before adjourning the matter to February 11.
There were four preliminary inquiries before the court in relation to the said matter and Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin who was handling the case at the time discharged one of them early last year on the basis that there was not sufficient evidence to proceed.
Magistrate Azeez was subsequently transferred to her court from the West Demerara Magisterial district and last month the team of lawyers representing the defendants during submissions had sought to halt the case due to the absence of the complainant.
However, Huckumchand said he had spoken to Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack and she instructed that the PI proceed. He said he told her that when the complainant was needed she will be contacted.
Initially, former Director-Secretary Maurice Arjoon, assistant Mortgage Manager Kissoon Baldeo and Opera-tions Manager Kent Vincent were charged with conspiracy to defraud the NBS of $69 million. In October 2007, shortly after the matter was brought before the court, Ali-Hack ordered that the charges be withdrawn against the trio and reinstituted together with charges against Ashley Legall, 59; Imran Bacchus; Amrita Prashad, 18; and Mohanram Shahebudin.
The first charge alleges that on November 20, 2006 Legall, Bacchus and Shahebudin conspired with others to withdraw $20.5 million from the Savings and Prosper account in the name of Bibi Khan at NBS by way of two cheques.
The second reads that on November 1, 2006 Legall, Bacchus, Prashad and Shahebudin allegedly conspired with others to withdraw $15 million from Khan’s account in the form of two cheques in the name of M. Kryshundayal and Compton Chase respectively.
The third charge states that Bacchus, Legall, Shahebudin, Baldeo and Vincent on November 17 allegedly conspired to withdraw $22,664,000 from Khan’s account by using two cheques, one in the name of M. Hussein and the other, Compton Chase. And the fourth charge reads that on November 8, Arjoon, Vincent, Bacchus, Legall and Shahebudin conspired with others to withdraw $32,230,384 from Khan’s account using two cheques.
Shortly after the reinstitution of the charges, lawyers for the managers filed a motion in the High Court before Justice Jainarayan Singh Jr, asking that the court prohibit the DPP, the Com-missioner of Police or any of his servants from reinstituting any new charges against them.
The High Court matter, which was brought by Arjoon, Vincent and Baldeo had earlier delayed the progress of the PI for sometime, was subsequently withdrawn.
