-detective testifies
A police detective on Thursday testified that Chandraradha Rampersaud confessed to orchestrating the July 12, 2011 Bel Air robbery, in which gunmen invaded her daughter’s home and stole over $7M.
Rampersaud, Jermaine Mitchell, Aubrey Simon, Rayon Jones and Hardat Kumar are on trial for the armed robbery of Rampersaud’s daughter, Annie Ramsood, of over $7M in local and foreign currency. The robbery took place at the home shared by Ramsood and businessman Malcolm Panday.
When testimony resumed on Thursday before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, Detective Constable Shonette Wills, who is attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), explained that sheassisted in the investigation of the July 12 heist, and was at the Brickdam Police Station when Lance Corporal Henry invited her to sit at a desk where she was introduced to Rampersaud.
She said that in her presence, Henry cautioned Rampersaud and told her that it was alleged that she conspired with others to rob her daughter Ramsood of a substantial of cash.
According to Wills, Rampersaud then told Henry, “Yes, I set up de robbery at Panday house, ‘cause I was bruk, but me ain’t do the robbery.”
She further said Henry then cautioned Rampersaud and with her consent he wrote a statement that she later signed, while Wills signed as a witness to it.
At no time was Rampersaud offered any plea deal or threatened or induced to provide them with statements, Wills said.
During cross-examination, attorney Michael Somersall asked Wills whether everything is recorded “word for word” when statements are taken from the accused.
Wills replied yes, and Somersall then brought it to her attention that based on her testimony about Rampersaud’s alleged confession, the statement did not include two valuable words.
Wills was then given the statement, which she recorded on July 13, 2011, and she confirmed that she indeed missed out the two words.
The trial was initially scheduled to continue yesterday, but it was subsequently adjourned until next Monday.
