Euclid Da Silva, who authorities say escaped from a prison in Boa Vista where he was jailed after drug trafficking and money laundering convictions, was yesterday accused of illegal entry into Guyana and hit with fraud charges that date back to 1997.
Bail for Da Silva, 42, was set at $3,085,000 on the four charges read against him by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Police have said that Da Silva escaped from a maximum-security prison in Boa Vista late July, along with several other persons during a prison break and Crime Chief Seelall Persaud on Thursday told Stabroek News that he was disputing his identity, claiming that he is a Guyanese by birth. Da Silva’s lawyer yesterday maintained that his client was Guyanese, while adding that he was a victim of constant police harassment.
Da Silva, who is also known as Euclides Erian Da Silva and Euclid Saigo, was not required to plead to the indictable charges of uttering a forged document, conspiracy to commit a felony and obtaining property by a forged document. A summary charge of illegal entry was also read against him, to which he pleaded not guilty.
It was alleged that on August 29, 1997, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he uttered a Republic of Guyana birth certificate in favour of himself, knowing same to be forged, to an immigration officer at the Central Immigration and Passport Office.
Also, it was alleged that between August 16, 1996 and August 29, 1997, at Georgetown, he conspired with person or persons unknown to forge a Republic of Guyana birth certificate, purporting to show that same was issued by the Birth Registry of Guyana, knowing same to be forged. Additionally, on August 1, 1997 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, Da Silva is alleged to have obtained a Republic of Guyana passport No. 73A.
In relation to the illegal entry charge, it was alleged that on August 10, 2012, at Lethem, Da Silva failed to present himself to an immigration officer upon entering Guyana.
Described as one of Brazil’s most wanted, Da Silva was serving a 29-year-old prison sentence after he was found guilty in the late 1990s for drug trafficking and money laundering.
After his first escape, he spent almost a decade here and established a business in the city before being handed over to Brazilian authorities.
He was captured by local police on Wednesday.
But attorney Peter Hugh, who represented Da Silva, asked for reasonable bail, while accusing the police of harassing his client and his family.
Hugh gave the man’s address as Lot 23 Hadfield Street, Stabroek, where he once operated a known business. He said while Da Silva lived in Brazil for sometime as well, he is a Guyanese by birth and he returned to his wife and three children, who all live here.
In 2010, Hugh said, ranks of the Guyana Police Force arrested his client and put “certain allegations to him,” after which they drove him to Lethem and took him across the border where he was handed over to Brazilian authorities. This process, he contended, was executed “without following any procedure or protocol.”
According to Hugh, Da Silva does not wish to leave the jurisdiction and is “fighting hard to remain here.” He claimed that the man posed no risk of flight.
But police prosecutor Kerry Bostwick objected to bail, saying that if released Da Silva will flee the jurisdiction.
Contrary to Hugh, Bostwick said the accused had no fixed address here or any ties to the community, while pointing out that the Hadfield Street address provided by counsel was currently unoccupied.
It was at this point that the Magistrate Octive-Hamilton enquired from Bostwick if the police knew where the man’s family was living.
Bostwick, however, said that while the police are aware that the man’s family indeed resides in Guyana, it could not provide the court with an address.
Hugh, on the other hand, when asked for an address, said that he was not inclined to provide the information since the police have been “harassing” his client’s family. “For the sake of their security, Madame, I would prefer not to say the exact location of my client’s family,” he explained.
Hugh added that the police had invaded and ransacked the Waterloo Street home of one of his client’s teenage sons—an act that he said has left the young man traumatised. “For this reason, Madame, I do not want to disclose where they live;” he emphasised.
After hearing submissions on both sides, Magistrate Octive-Hamilton, informed Da Silva that bail would be set at $2M for the conspiracy and uttering a forged document charges, $1M for the obtaining property by a forged document charge and $85,000 for the illegal entry charge.
The matters will be called again on October 5 for reports and fixtures at Court One of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
