Businessman Malcolm Panday yesterday tearfully recounted the July 12, 2011 $7.2 million robbery at his Bel Air home, during which he was forced to leave his wife and two children with invading bandits as he fled to get police.
Panday’s mother-in-law, Chandraradha Rampersaud and four men, Jermaine Mitchell, Aubrey Simon, Rayon Jones and Hardat Kumar are on trial for robbing his wife, Annie Ramsood.
Ramsood, who is Rampersaud’s daughter, was robbed of $1.4 million and US$29,000 (equivalent to $5.8 million), totalling $7.2 million. The accused are also charged with robbing Ramsood of a BlackBerry Smartphone and a quantity of cash, valued $427,000 in total.
Panday, who testified before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday, said the attack began when two men appeared at his gate at about 11.30 am.
From his living room, he said, he saw two strange men open his gate, enter the yard and move towards him. However, one of his staff members, Shelika Lall, exited the front door and met the men. At this point, he asked his wife, who was sitting nearby, why Lall was going outside to the men, who could very well be bandits.
As the woman spoke with the men, Panday said, he was watching them because he was scared that they were bandits. He added that just then, he felt troubled and told one of his staffers nearby to close the front door and he then ran out of the house through the back door.
Panday, who started to break down in tears, stated that he left his wife, his two sons, Victor and Christopher, and staff members in the house.
He added that he jumped over the fence and ended up in the yard of his neighbour, who he alerted to the presence of bandits in his home and asked her to call the police.
Special prosecutor Glenn Hanoman asked Panday how he was able to determine that the men were bandits. Panday said he based his conclusion on their aggressive appearance as they moved towards his house. He also noticed that Lall had pulled back, in an attempt to retreat into the house.
His neighbour contacted the Cops Security Service, which she owns, and then called the police. About 10 minutes later, one of the security ranks from the service came and escorted him back to his house.
Panday, who again broke down into tears and took a minute to compose himself, explained that when he went back into his home he saw his wife and two sons scared and shaking. “I don’t want to remember this, I cried for two weeks after this incident,” he cried.
He said he embraced his family and then asked his wife if the robbers were able to take anything. She explain-ed to him that the money from his safe was taken. He went to the safe and discovered that US$29,400 and over $1 million were missing.
Hanoman asked Panday why he had that amount of money at his home and the businessman explained that he was due to travel in a couple of days and had the cash to do business overseas.
He noted that after it was checked and parcelled, he and his wife had placed the money in the safe, which only they had access to via a key or a combination lock.
Hanoman then asked Panday to describe the men who came into his yard and he said that there was a short East-Indian man accompanied by a tall Afro-Guyanese man who was wearing a red cap and a brown shirt.
The day after the robbery, he added, he was called to identify the men in an ID parade and he identified Mitchell and Rabindranauth Seemangal (who has since pleaded guilty and was sentenced for his part in the crime).
Shootout
Meanwhile, Police Constable Kelvin Liverpool also testified yesterday, saying that he was engaged with three of the accused after the robbery.
Liverpool, who was a Tactical Services Unit rank on motorcycle when he was informed of the robbery-in-progress, said that en route to Bel Air he saw two cars coming towards him at a fast pace.
It is alleged that the accused were in one of the cars being pursued by Sanjay Ramsood, the brother of Annie Ramsood.
Liverpool joined the chase, which ended at the Ocean Spray Hotel, where he saw the white “212” car in the driveway and four men coming towards him. He identified Mitchell, Simon, and Jones and added that the other fellow was not present in the court.
According to Liverpool, he told the men to “freeze” and identified himself as a policeman and Mitchell drew a firearm and fired shots at him. Liverpool returned fire as a result.
He said as the men fled, he ran after Mitchell, who was later held by public-spirited citizens.
After Liverpool completed his testimony, Attorney Michael Somersall, who was acting amicus curiae, asked him if Kumar was one of the men he saw coming from the car. He responded “no,” adding that later at Brickdam Police Station he saw Kumar.
