It has been more than a year and a half since former Supreme Court Registrar Sita Ramlal and Norman McLean were charged with four counts of conspiracy to defraud and the preliminary inquiry (PI) is yet to be concluded.
The PI, which will determine whether there is enough evidence for Ramlal and McLean to stand trial in the High Court, recommenced recently at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
In late April last year, Ramlal and McLean – a former army Chief of Staff – were charged with conspiring to forge an adoption order in respect of a girl child. They had first appeared before then Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson and then the case was transferred to Court Six for the commencement of the PI.
However, the Court Six magistrate who had been hearing the matter resigned and the PI was restarted before Magistrate Fazil Azeez in Court Three. Last Thursday the prosecution was expected to start leading witnesses in the matter. However, it was adjourned after the witnesses failed to attend court.
During yesterday’s court proceedings Police Prose-cutor Denise Griffith led three witnesses. Former Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court Rashid Mohamed was the first witness to take the stand.
Mohamed testified about the adoption process and explained in detail how the paper work is done from start to finish.
Detective Inspector Trevor Reid was the next person to take the stand. The third witness in the matter was Edward Norman a former employee at the Supreme Court whose main responsibility was to sign court orders.
However, Norman’s testimony was aborted after lead defence counsel Nigel Hughes, who is representing the duo jointly, pointed out that because no documents were tendered as exhibits in the case no witness could testify on the contents of those documents which are yet to be seen by the court.
Magistrate Azeez later told the prosecution that the court needs to see the documentation which is being referred to.
Without the documentation, there will be nothing for the court to examine, he stated.
He advised the prosecution to seek further assistance from the Director of Public Prosecutions on how to proceed with the case.
The matter continues tomorrow morning.
Ramlal, 59, of 2 Bel Air and McLean, 75, of 77 Forshaw Street were not required to plead to the indictable charges when they were read to them.
It is alleged that on December 10, 2004 and March 18, 2009 at George-town, with intent to defraud, Ramlal and McLean conspired with each other and person or persons unknown to forge an adoption order in respect to a girl child, purporting to show that the said adoption order was issued on December 14, 2000 knowing same to be false.
It is also alleged that on December 10, 2004 and March 18, 2009 at George-town, with intent to defraud, Ramlal and McLean conspired with each other and person or persons unknown to forge an adoption order in respect to the same child purporting to show that the said adoption order was issued on December 10, 2001 knowing same to be false.
Allegedly, on June 18, 2004 and March 18, 2009 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, Ramlal and McLean conspired with each other and person or persons unknown to forge an adoption order in respect to the same child purporting to show that the said adoption order was dated August 10, 2000 and entered on August 14, 2000 knowing same to be false.
On June 18, 2004 and March 18, 2009 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, Ramlal and McLean allegedly conspired with each other and person or persons unknown to forge a summons, an affidavit in support of summons, a statement by Lynette McLean, a consent of parent form, and several other documents and particulars to be furnished with application for an adoption order all being original documents belonging to the Court of Records in Guyana in the matter of an adoption of the same child by Norman McLean and Vidya McLean purporting to show that the said documents were all dated the year 2000 knowing same to be false.
McLean was further charged alone with two counts of delivering documents. It is alleged that on February 17, 2005 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he delivered to Dawn Britton a forged adoption order in respect of the same child, dated December 14, 2000 knowing same to be false. It is also alleged that on February 17, 2005 at Georgetown, McLean with intent to defraud delivered to Leota Landford a forged adoption order in respect of the same child dated December 14, 2000 knowing same to be false.
