High Court to hand down decision soon

$54M missing diamonds

…plaintiff recalls brother, business partner being shot and killed during robbery

Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln is set to rule on the matter involving $54 million in uncut diamonds that vanished from Police custody in Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) almost 25 years ago. This announcement followed the conclusion of the trial on Wednesday where the owner of the precious merchandise, Ronald Khan, maintained that the now missing items were weighed by Police in front him and several fellow ranks.
The now elderly businessman told the court that he has not seen his diamonds since they disappeared from the Mahdia Police Station. Khan’s took legal action against the State in 2011 to reclaim his missing diamonds after he was not receiving positive word from Police on the location of the items.
The 430 carats of diamonds were taken as evidence by Police after it was recovered following a 1994 robbery investigation when Khan’s Ewang Creek, mining camp in Region Eight was invaded. During that attack, his brother and a business associate were shot and killed while Khan’s life was nearly taken as he was also shot. The plaintiff told the court that he now bares a hole to his neck and can hardly see, owing to the injuries he received.
“I reported the matter. I got shots over my skin. The Mahdia Station was contacted via radio set. The Police led me to Pamela Landing and the transported me to Mahdia Hospital. The next day they took me to identify the two men who robbed me,” the aged businessman recalled.
Khan, who had to be assisted to a seat where he testified, said he spoke with late Police Commissioner Henry Greene on three occasions whom he said promised that the matter would be investigated but this never materialised. He also claimed that following the recovery in 1994, he attended court on a few occasions after being hospitalised for nearly three months but said he never knew what came out of the murder and robbery matter.
“They kept putting off the case. I need my diamonds,” Khan, who now has hearing difficulties stressed.
An animated Khan appeared surprised when State counsel Tiffany Castello suggested that the minerals may not have been in fact diamonds; but the man stressed that he became a pork knocker in 1950 as he outlined how diamonds are placed in categories of “Good; Reject; Industrial and Fine”. He recounted that he started out by selling gold and diamonds to the late MC Correia in Charlotte Street, Georgetown.
Under cross examination, Castello suggested that Khan could not see properly when he claimed that he identified the stones at the Mahdia Police Station, but the former miner stressed that he could make out his diamonds. Khan added that at the time of the attack, he could not see as he was bleeding all over. He nevertheless held on to his claim that he saw his diamonds.
When probed further, he stated that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) did not verify the value of the diamonds. He noted that he “passed the diamonds through the GGMC.”
Three Police witnesses also took the stand to testify. These were retired Inspector Terrence Semple, retired Corporal Westland Fraser and retired Senior Superintendent Courtney Ramsey. They were all cross-examined by Khan’s Attorney Nigel Hughes. Semple told the court that he received a ‘crazy-glue’ container with a quantity of stones but could not recall if Khan was brought to the Mahdia Police Station. He however noted remembering that Khan was injured and taken to hospital.
Ramsey testified that he handed over the stones to “Constable Fraser” who was told to escort the diamonds to E (Linden-Kwakwani) and F Division (Interior locations). He also said that he was never requested to do an investigation of the missing merchandise, adding that he was not aware if Khan was ever told to collect the stones. (Shemuel Fanfair)