THREE men appeared before Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday, charged with the $93M heist committed on El Dorado Gold Trading Operations at Port Kaituma, North West District, last week. 

Licensed money lender and farmer Amirullah Kuturatullah also called ‘Iron Roller’, 46, of Lot 23 Number Two and Anil Dairam, 25, a large scale farmer, also of Number Two Settlement, Blairmont, West Bank Berbice and Kenneth Garraway, of Lot 30 Charity, Essequibo Coast, were not required to plead to the indictable charge.
Particulars of the offence said, on Friday, November 8, at Port Kaituma, they stole 96 ounces of gold valued $22M and $71M cash, making a total of $93M, property of Tamesh Jagmohan.
Kuturatullah was also charged with possession 16 gold bars and a quantity of forged $100 and $50 Barbados currency notes in his ceiling, on Sunday, November 10, at the Number Two Settlement, Blairmont house.

Attorney-at-law, Mr. Glenn Hanoman, prosecuting, requested that the matter remain indictable at this stage.
He told the court that the virtual complainant operates a business trading and purchasing raw gold which he is licensed to do and the allegation is that the General Manager of the company (no name stated) orchestrated the crime that appeared to be a robbery.
Hanoman said he procured Kuturatullah and Dairam, whom he knew previously, to travel from Berbice to Port Kaituma with Garraway in his boat a few days before the robbery.
He added that one of the principal offenders is not yet charged.
Hanoman said the three accused collected all the gold and cash and returned by boat to Charity and the Berbicians went back to their homes.
He said the GM confessed to his involvement in the crime at an early stage and took the police to the house of the numbers one and two accused, where

millions of dollars in money and several ounces of gold bars were found.
The prosecutor said that the person was employed with the company sometime prior to the offence being committed and the number two hid under the bed during that time and pounced on a worker and tied him up. They then made good their escape and headed to Charity.
Written confessions
He said oral and written confessions were taken from all the accused, a quantity of gold and money was also recovered from them, as they all cooperated with the police in the investigation.
Hanoman said others are likely to be charged and taken to court for the offence and, although, violence has been used in the commission, persons have not been charged for it.
Other articles believed to have been stolen were found, as well as some other property, the origin of which the police are trying to ascertain.
The possibility that the same group may be involved in a past robbery and in particular one robbery/murder that occurred in the same office, involving the same employee a few years ago, is being investigated, Hanoman said.
He added that permission has been granted for the principal suspect to remain in police custody so that he may be charged along with others.
Hanoman mentioned that approximately $5.5M was given to the number three accused as part of the proceeds and he took the police to his home and pointed out a person who kept in excess of $4M cash in a bag.
The prosecutor objected to bail for the trio, stating that all three accused may pose as flight risks and might communicate and tamper with other witnesses if granted pre-trial liberty.
He added that more time is needed for the investigation to be completed, since police from Port Kaituma have been compromised, causing the delay to charge.
Hanoman said, too, that it is hoped to have this trial in Georgetown, because all the investigators are stationed there and are seeking to expedite this matter.
Additional charges are expected to be laid and investigations are ongoing.
Attorney-at-law, Mr. Nigel Hughes, who represented Garraway, argued that the latter is a boat captain, transporting passengers from Port Kaituma to Charity and is unclear of his involvement in the actual robbery as his job is a boat operator.
Counsel argued that it is impossible to isolate them at this time because even persons in prison can contact others outside, such as attorneys, family members and friends.
Bailable offence
Other attorney-at-law, Mr. Tejnarine Ramroop, for Kuturatullah and Dairam, said the duo are being charged with simple larceny, which is a bailable offence and bail should not be used as form of punishment.
Ramroop said Kuturatullah was never convicted except being charged for a minor traffic offence and, in relation to what the prosecutor said, about his clients tampering with witnesses, he is fearful for them remaining in custody because they may be tortured.
He claimed the prosecution does not have evidence to prove that his client will flee the jurisdiction and he is willing to lodge his passport until the trial is finished.
Hanoman asked that all the accused get medical attention from a doctor if they have been tortured.
Hughes intervened to state: “If you water board or black bag someone, it will leave no tangible identification of torturing and neither of these forms of torture would be identified by a medical doctor.”
The prosecutor argued that, through psychiatric evaluation, these inflictions can be indentified and the defence lawyers’ application, for their clients to be psychiatrically evaluated by a professional, was granted.
However, bail was refused and all three accused were remanded to prison until November 22.