BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – NEWRISH NITAL, who was convicted of fraud on June 15 and was scheduled to be sentenced today (June 30), will have to spend some more time at Her Majesty’s Prison before learning of his fate.
SKNVibes learnt that after an individual has been found guilty of a crime at the Basseterre High Court, it has become a common practice that he/she would be sentenced on the second Thursday following conviction, unless a special request is made by the individual after his/her social inquiry and other reports were presented in court.
However, like Nital, all other incomplete High Court matters scheduled for the current Assizes have been postponed until the conclusion of the sitting of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal, which begins on Monday, July 4 and ends on Friday, July 8.
Indian native Amit Sahajwala, who was found guilty of embezzlement on June 24, is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, July 14, and it is believed that on that date Nital will also be sentenced.
At his trial, the jury took less than an hour to return a unanimous guilty verdict on all three counts for the popular Mathematics teacher, chemist and host of the ZIZ television programme ‘Ask Nital’.
According to the prosecution team, which was led by Crown Counsel Garth Wilkin, 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.
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 totalled 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 Corporal Elvin Browne, Constable Alexis George, a cashier at the post office and the Postmaster General gave evidence on behalf of the prosecution.
Nital was represented by Attorney-At-Law Anthony Johnson who, after the prosecution rested its case, called Commissioner of Police Austin Williams to give evidence on behalf of his client.
