BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – NEWRISH NITAL, Amit Sahajwala and Razba Matthew are scheduled to be scentenced today (July 21) by His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas at the Basseterre High Court.
Due to the High Court being on a break and also the sitting of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, the sentencing of the convicted men was postponed.
Nital was convicted of fraud on June 15.
According to the prosecution, 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 Nital.
Indian national Amit Sahajwala was found guilty of embezzlement on June 24.
Sahajwala, a.k.a. Alex, a former Manager of Jewel Palace, was said to have committed the offense between December 2008 and March 9, 2009.
The case began on June 21 and two sales clerk of Jewel Palace; the General Manager of both stores; two members of the police force; the manufacturer of KK Jewellers Inc., who are also the owners of Jewel Palace and Diamond Bizarre located at Port Zante; and a sales clerk from Diamond Bizarre had provided evidence for the prosecution.
The prosecution alleged that on March 9, 2009, police officers went to inquire about a report at Jewel Palace that was made by the manufacturer, Tulsi Kheskwani, and when asked if he had any of the company’s money on him, Sahajwala took US$930 and EC$270 out of his pocket.
The prosecution also alleged that when the accused was told of the police inquiries, he said he “only took EU$3 805”.
Sahajwala gave sworn testimony after the prosecution rested its case and admitted to putting the money in his pocket because he was too busy to put it in the cash register and was concentrating on making sales.
It was also brought into evidence that he sold one of the company’s cameras to a female employee for EC$375; EC$125 less than its original price.
Sahajwala also told her not to take the camera to work or to let any of the other employees see it.
He was represented by Senior Counsels Dr. Henry Browne and Hesketh Benjamin while the Director of Public Prosecution, Paulina Hendrickson, was lead prosecutor in the matter.
Matthew was found guilty of the manslaughter of Stancia Lake on July 6 by a 12-member jury that was divided 10-2.
The trial began on June 27 and the prosecution had alleged that Matthew shot and killed 14-year-old Stancia Lake on August 8, 2009 at a home located at the corner of Wigley Avenue and Cayon Street.
The prosecution team called a total of 10 witnesses and was led by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Paulina Hendrickson, while Matthew, who was a juvenile at the time of the offence, was represented by Attorney-At-Law Marsha Henderson.
Barbadian Forensic Pathologist Dr. Stephen Jones told the court that on August 11, 2009 he had performed an autopsy on the deceased and found that death was due to a gunshot wound to the head.
Justin Stevens, one of the prosecution witnesses, told the court that he, Lake and Matthew were in his bedroom where she had first plaited the accused hair.
He said the accused was sitting near a window in the bedroom and that Lake was plaiting his hair while his twin brother and another friend were also at the home.
Stevens said he was seated on the floor and Lake sat directly behind him on the edge of the bed, and that he was startled when he heard the sound of gunfire.
“I felt Stancia ease over on me and when I turned around she was falling and I saw blood,” he said.
Stevens said he was not sure where the sound came from as it echoed, but the accused was sitting by a window in the room.
It was also revealed that the accused left the home after Lake was shot.
