BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – COMMISSIONER of Police Austin Williams was the only witness called on behalf of the defence in the Newrish Nital’s fraud case.
The Commissioner testified yesterday (June 14) at the Basseterre High Court and told the court that he had spoken to Nital about the matter in question.
Williams said that he received a call from Nital about the issue and spoke to a senior police officer, following which he had conversed with the accused.
SKNVibes learnt that Williams had told Nital he should return the money to the post office.
During cross-examination, Crown Counsel Garth Wilkin and lead prosecutor in the matter asked the Police Commissioner a very crucial question.
Wilkin asked, “If a person obtained money by false pretenses, would paying back the money for fraud wipe out the offense?”
In response, Williams said, “Not in general terms.”
He also asked the Commissioner if he were aware of a conspiracy in the Force to embarrass Nital, the accused, to which he replied in the negative.
According to the prosecution team, on April 1, 2 and 4, 2008, Nital allegedly presented several United States Postal Service International Postal Money Orders to a cashier at the Basseterre Post Office with intent to defraud.
It is also alleged that he obtained EC$3 710, EC$1 855 and EC$3 710 on April 1, 2 and 4, respectively, from the cashier by presenting the money orders that later turned out to be fraudulent.
The three money orders totaled EC$9 275.
Nital was also said to have had a total of five US$700 money orders and had taken them to the postal office on the dates in question.
The case began on June 9 and the prosecution called a total of five witnesses, including Corporal Browne, Constable Alexis George, a cashier at the post office and the Postmaster General.
Nital is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Anthony Johnson.
