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by pltm
(PLTM) - As the trial of three policemen who were allegedly involved in stealing money seized from crime scenes continues, the High Court was yesterday, February 11, given varying descriptions by two witnesses of a pillowcase of cash seized during a police operation.
Pamphill Prevost, Simon Power and Shawn Henry are appearing before Justice Rajiv Persad and a nine-member jury in relation to a number of charges, which allege that over a number of years, they stole money seized during several police operations.
BVI Platinum News previously reported on the statement of Inspector of Police, Ivor Fraser, who spoke of an incident at Elm’s Suites in Cane Garden Bay on December 20, 2012, where three foreign nationals were arrested in an apartment, in which a pillowcase of cash was found.
Sergeant Royston DaSilva, who was stationed at the Police Marine Base at Road Reef during that period, returned to the witness box yesterday, where he was cross-examined by Attorney Patrick Thompson.
In a previous appearance, DaSilva testified that he had had visited the apartment in which a pillowcase almost completely filled with cash was found, and later saw Prevost collect the pillowcase from the apartment.
However, he said that when the money was seen at the police station, it appeared to be significantly less. He claimed that he questioned Prevost about it, but that Prevost remained silent.
Yesterday, when questioned by Prevost’s Attorney, Mr. Thompson, DaSilva vowed that while he could not recall the time of his arrival at the apartment, he could remember the pillowcase well.
The cash, he said, was bound by rubber bands and he believed they were stored in plastic bags.
However, when shown photos of the apartment by the Defense, the very cautious witness said that while similar, he could not confirm if the photo was that of the apartment that evening, despite the detailed similarities.
Shown the pillowcase, DaSilva confirmed that the pillowcase in evidence is the one found at the scene, but that in 2012, it was almost completely filled with cash. He maintained that the pillowcase was open and not tied at the end.
When asked to demonstrate how packed with money the pillowcase was, he indicated that the money was packed to just below the lace trimmings.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Annette Moses, another officer, testified that she had seen the pillowcase as well. However, pointing to the empty pillowcase, she indicated by pointing out that it was filled to just over the half-mark.
Her recollection of how much money she saw in the case was different from Mr. DaSllva.
When shown the photos that DaSilva was shown, she positively identified the apartment as the same one involved in the incident.
It should be recalled that in a previous article, this publication shared that Inspector Fraser alleged that sometime after returning to the police station with the cash, Prevost was seen leaving the station with a bulky evidence bag.
The trial continues.
