A city magistrate yesterday ruled to allow a witness in the trial of Rosanna Ramnarine, the former Guyana Gold Board (GGB) accountant accused of six counts of fraud, to continue his testimony after an objection was raised about him being considered an expert.
The charges against Ramnarine came subsequent to a 2017 investigation into allegations of “millions of dollars” in theft through the manipulation of the gold testing system.
Trial Magistrate Faith McGusty yesterday noted that an objection was previously made by the defendant’s attorney, Nigel Hughes, in relation to the continuation of evidence by Amir Mohammed, who has training in handwriting.
The magistrate noted that Hughes objected to Mohammed’s testimony since he was not doing certain things to be deemed qualified or considered an expert.
In her ruling, she stated that the witness did not have to be so qualified to testify and that he would have spoken about the amount of times he has testified in the courts and the training he would have received, among other things.
As a result, she said the witness could be deemed competent to continue giving evidence.
The matter was then adjourned until October 8th.
The testimony of Mohammed in relation to handwriting has been objected to in various matters with attorneys maintaining that he lacks training to be considered an expert.
The first charge read to Ramnarine states that between February 1st, 2017 and April 30th, 2017, at the GGB, located at Lot 68 Brickdam, Georgetown, being employed as a clerk or servant, she willfully and with the intent to defraud, falsified a document in possession of the GGB, that is to say, payment invoice #80782, purporting to show that Edward Hopkinson, received a payment of $336, 207, on March 21st, 2017.
It was also alleged that between April 30th, 2017 and June 30th, 2017, at the GGB, being employed as a clerk or a servant, she willfully and with the intent to defraud, falsified a document in possession of the GGB, that is to say, payment invoice #81475, purporting to show that Ryan Chase, received a payment of $288,583 on May 30th, 2017.
The third charge states that the accused, between April 30th, 2017 and June 30th, 2017, being employed as a clerk or servant at the GGB, stole $288,583 in monies in the possession and power of the GGB, her employer.
It was further alleged that between February 1st, 2017 and April 30th, 2017, Ramnarine stole $336,207 in monies in the possession and power of the GGB, her employer.
The fifth charge alleges that Ramnarine, with intent to defraud the GGB, conspired with a person or persons unknown to forge GGB payment invoice #80782, dated March 21st, 2017, between February 1st, 2017 and April 30th, 2017.
Finally, it is alleged that the accused, between April 30th, 2017 and June 30th, 2017, with intent to defraud the GGB, conspired with person or persons unknown to forge GGB payment invoice #81475, dated May 30th, 2017.
In November, 2017, Chairman of the Gold Board, GHK Lall, explained that the GGB does not issue miners with a certificate of the purity of the gold they sell to the agency, but conducts an assay which is not 100 percent accurate. Sellers are aware of this and bring their gold with their own percentage purity. The Gold Board checks independently to verify the purity and if the assay proves that it is higher or lower than that stated, the miners receive an additional payment from the Gold Board in the case of the former instance, or in the latter, the miners would have to refund the Gold Board.
