CANU ranks charged with theft of detainee’s diamonds

Two ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) were on Wednesday arraigned before Albion Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh on a charge alleging that they had stolen diamonds from a Surinamese national who had been detained by CANU.
Twenty-one-year-old Annick Hosannah of Lot 1314 Diamond/Grove, East Bank Demerara; and 26-year-old Jamine Goddard of Lot 5 Water Street, Bagotstown, EBD were each brought before the Magistrate on a charge of simple larceny.

Particulars of the charge stated that on June 20, at Skeldon, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), they stole several diamonds belonging to Gabriel Manickchand, a Surinamese.
They both pleaded not guilty, and were each released on $300,000 bail,
granted on condition that they report to the Police every other Friday.
The case has been postponed until August 3 for report and statements.
It was previously reported that the CANU ranks were taken into custody by the Police in relation to simple larceny allegations stemming from an operation in Region Six.
On Sunday, the Police Force revealed that the ranks allegedly stole several diamonds from Manickchand, who had been detained by the CANU. According to a statement from the Police, the Surinamese national was detained by the two CANU officers – Annick Hossanah and Jamine Goddard – for his possession of an illegal firearm.
The Police had further disclosed that Goddard had swallowed two diamonds, and was taken to the hospital, where he excreted them. Hossanah, on the other hand, admitted to investigators that he sold his loot to another individual. The Police Force had said it was looking for the individual who allegedly bought the stolen diamonds from the CANU rank.

Sources familiar with the matter have revealed that sometime after the detainment of the Surinamese man in Berbice, it was discovered that the diamonds he had in his possession were missing. At that point, the two CANU officers were called in for questioning over the stolen diamonds.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued last Sunday, CANU Head James Singh distanced the agency from the actions of these two officers, which he described as “an embarrassing incident”.
“Not the kind of news we should be waking up to in the morning, or ever. You can bring fame or shame to yourself, your family, and your Unit. These officers made their choices, their actions do not reflect that of our organisation,” he posited.
Singh reassured all that the agency was committed to tackling not just drug trafficking, but all other crimes in Guyana.
“CANU remains committed to carrying out its mandate and combatting drug trafficking and any other crimes within Guyana, even within our Unit. I wish to thank the Guyana Police Force’s CID for bringing this embarrassing incident to a close, and I trust that the courts will ensure justice is done,” he said. (G1)