THE Court of Appeal has set April 6 as the date to hear arguments in the case filed by three former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guards, who are currently sitting on death row for the 2009 murder of Bartica gold dealer, Dwieve Kant Ramdass.

In 2013, the former soldiers, Sherwin Hart, Deon Greenidge, and Devon Gordon were found guilty of the capital offence of murder and were sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Franklyn Holder at the Demerara High Court.

Dissatisfied, the trio moved to the Appeal Court seeking to have their conviction and sentence overturned.
The case is being heard virtually before Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.
Hart and Greenidge are being represented by Trinidad-based attorney, Douglas Mendes, SC, and prominent local attorney, Nigel Hughes and his associates. Attorney-at-law Latchmie Rahamat is on record for Gordon.

On March 15, after ironing out some issues concerning submissions, the Appeal Court set April 6 for the hearing of arguments.
On August 20, 2009, the two Privates and a Lance Corporal who were manning the Coast Guard RC 12 motorboat in the Essequibo River, made off with $17M in cash which Ramdass was carrying in a box to Bartica for his employer who is based in the city and operates a gold and diamond business.

The three soldiers allegedly told investigators shortly after their arrest that they strangled Ramdass, took the money he was carrying and threw his body overboard in the vicinity of Caiman Hole in the Essequibo River.

Ramdass, 24, of 95 Third Avenue, Bartica, realised he was in danger and attempted to solicit help by using his cellular phone. He was, however, prevented from doing so by the killers.

The GDF members took away Ramdass in their boat, relieved him of the cash and murdered him, before returning to the Parika Stelling. According to reports a portion of the money was recovered by the police during a roadblock exercise. The three soldiers reportedly split the money into three portions after they killed Ramdass. On August 22, 2009, Ramdass’ lifeless body was fished out from the Essequibo River.