Suspected 'Blackie' gang member claims cop threatened him
by Amanda Wilson
ANDREW Peter Douglas, one of the gang linked to the notorious slain criminal Linden `Blackie' London, yesterday alleged that Policeman Ewart `Toots' Hutson threatened to kill him while he was in custody. Hutson and several others were shot by bandits during last September's daring America Street, Georgetown cambio robbery. Douglas, also known as `Todd Dexter' and `Fineman', of 32 Friendship Middle Walk, East Coast Demerara, made the charge in an unsworn statement from the dock before Magistrate Dawn Holder-Alert. He was before that magistrate after Chief Magistrate Paul Fung-A-Fat transferred 13 of the 15 cases, in which Douglas and others are accused of carrying out several robberies with London, to another court. Douglas and his reputed wife, Venetta Samlall called `Baby', of 43 Race Course Dam, Corentyne, Berbice, Sirimarvo Indera Rudolph, and Kevin Alli called `Rasfo', both of 256 Sisters Village, Long Pond, West Bank Demerara; Toyin Anderson, of 42 Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara; Omali Rogers, of 83 Woodpecker Lane, Ameila's Ward, Linden and Sherwin Brandt, 22, of 15 Norton Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, are charged with robbery under arms, attempted murder and receiving stolen money. Special Prosecutor Khemraj Ramjattan told Mr Fung-A-Fat that he will be prosecuting only the cases in which Douglas and Alli are jointly charged with the America Street robbery. He said he was informed that a State Prosecutor will be prosecuting the other cases. Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, representing Alli, Brandt, Rogers and Rudolph, in his application for bail said Alli was not taken to a doctor as was ordered by the Court last week. The lawyer said the injuries to his client's private parts have worsened and that if granted bail he can seek medical attention on his own. Hughes argued that his client has been in custody for more than a week and that he cannot get a medical certificate that can be tendered as evidence because 48 hours had elapsed since he received them. Mr Fung-A-Fat said he did not make a formal order last week, but recorded that Alli must be taken to a doctor immediately after court. The Chief Magistrate also said if this is not done no warrant must be signed for Alli to be taken back to the prison. Douglas, who was arrested in Suriname and extradited here earlier this month, is still unrepresented by a lawyer. He told Mrs Holder-Alert that after he was handed over to the local Police by Suriname authorities, he was taken to Police headquarters at Eve Leary, Georgetown, then transferred to the Brickdam Police Station, also in the city. He said the following day, he was escorted back to Eve Leary and placed on an identification parade but no witnesses pointed him out. He told Mrs Holder-Alert that the Police told him he was one of the men involved in a robbery during which Policeman Hutson was wounded. According to Douglas, Hutson is one of the cops who investigated his cases and that he was the reason he was transferred from Brickdam Police Station to Eve Leary. The accused claimed Hutson threatened to kill him while he was in custody at Eve Leary. Before he was escorted to court yesterday morning, Assistant Superintendent Trim, an Inspector and the Assistant Superintendent of Prisons took him into an office with a tape recorder and told him to disclose his role in the robberies and who were his accomplices, Douglas said. He added that he denied having any knowledge about these incidents and was told to contact them when he is ready to talk. "I am innocent and in jail. Why don't they withdraw the charges against me?", Douglas said. Mrs Holder-Alert advised Douglas to retain a lawyer and asked him if any of his relatives were in court yesterday. In relation to Alli, the Magistrate said she did not have the file. Douglas said he has no money to pay a lawyer and that his reputed wife Samlall who was placed on bail is still in custody because she, too, has no cash. Mrs Holder-Alert told Douglas' brother, Patrick Bowman who was in court, to hire a lawyer to represent his brother and Bowman indicated that he will try to get one. Hughes reiterated his arguments to Mrs Holder-Alert and added that witnesses testified in the last America Street robbery preliminary inquiry that there were four men involved in the heist but the Police have now charged six persons. He further stated that Brandt was not arrested by the Police but turned himself in after he heard that a warrant was out for him. Hughes argued that his clients were not arrested during a shoot-out or with army ammo nor firearms in their possession and if the court fears that they will flee the jurisdiction, they can be placed on substantial bail. On behalf of Douglas, Hughes said a person should not be questioned once they have already been charged. Police Prosecutor Corporal Suzette Cornette said she is not familiar with the case but objected to bail on the ground that the offences are serious and that they may flee the country. She added that there is also fear the defendants if placed on bail will tamper with the witnesses and indicated to the Court that the Prosecution will be ready to start the cases within a week. After a short adjournment, Mrs Holder-Alert remanded the defendants to jail until tomorrow and told Hughes that if the Prosecution cannot start the trial with strong witnesses on that date she will grant bail. In another court, Detective Sergeant Marlon Chapman attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Eve Leary, was the first to testify in the preliminary inquiry stemming from charges in relation to the America Street cambio robbery. Chapman, from the Homicide Squad, was led through his evidence in chief by Ramjattan. The inquiry was adjourned to Friday. Last September 1, heavily-armed men robbed Didco Trading Company Limited of millions of dollars in local currency during which security guard Rakharam Singh was shot in the abdomen, left thigh and right knee. The bandits fled the scene in a car which was parked outside the building. Douglas, Anderson, Brandt and Rogers are accused of robbing: ** Singh of a .32 Taurus revolver worth $70,000, property of Didco Trading Company Limited. ** Sharon Ramdehol, a Didco employee, of $635,502 while being armed with guns. ** Gail Baird of a gold band and a gold chain, all worth $60,000. ** Sharon Ramdehol of three gold rings and an artificial earring, all valued $12,250. ** Singh of six rounds of .32 ammo worth $600, also belonging to Didco Trading Company Limited. They are also accused of attempting to murder Singh by discharging loaded guns at him. Douglas alone is implicated in the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) gunpoint robbery. On January 10, gunmen robbed the NIS headquarters of more than $13M as pensioners gathered for their monthly payment. Particulars of the charge said Douglas robbed Juneann Perez, an NIS employee, of $13,736,993 in cash, while being armed with a gun. The Prosecutor stated that Douglas and Alli and two women were charged following investigations into the America Street robbery that occurred last September 22. In this raid, masked gunmen attacked D. Singh ad Sons cambio and Hanif Bacchus and carted off millions of dollars in local and foreign currency in a waiting car after firing shots indiscriminately at persons on the street. Anderson and Clyde Atwell were last month committed to stand trial in the Demerara Assize after an almost five-month preliminary inquiry. Douglas and London were also charged in that robbery. In this case: ** Douglas alone is charged with attempting to murder Jermine Brower, Vish Narine, Brian Nelson, Ewart Hutson and Mubarak Khan. ** Douglas, and Alli are accused of robbing Latchman Mohabeer of $3,427,397 in local currency, $US36,499, $10,990 Sterling (pounds), Cdn$5,040, TT$10,117, EC$1,555, Bds$1,010, property of Deodat Singh, while being armed with guns. Alli is accused of being an accessory to the crime. ** Douglas and Alli, while armed with guns, are accused of robbing Ramzan Bacchus of $1.5M belonging to Hanif Bacchus. Police claim Alli was again an accessory to the crime. ** Rudolph is charged with receiving $100,000 from Douglas on September 22, at Corriverton, Corentyne, knowing that the cash was part of the booty from the America Street robbery. ** Samlall is also accused of receiving $100,000 from Douglas on September 22, knowing that it was part of the America Street heist. Mr Fung-A-Fat yesterday reduced Samlall's bail to $50,000.
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