Crown ends pursuit for bank robber’s cash
Scene of the Cayman National Bank robbery, 2012
(CNS): The director of public prosecutions has given up her efforts to try and seize assets from four men convicted of armed bank robbery. While it is not clear what assets that David Tamasa, Rennie Cole, George Mignot and Andre Burton have that the crown could have confiscated, the men stole more than $500,000 in a daylight armed heist at Cayman National Bank in 2012 and less than $150,000 has ever been recovered.
Although legislation exists in Cayman to provide prosecutors a route to recover proceeds of crime, seizing assets is considered an additional punishment and as sentences have already been set, to pursue assets after the fact would add to the sentences.
Given the human rights issues related to trying to increase a sentence and the difficulty in tracking the men’s assets, as they have all been in jail since their arrest more than three years ago, the deputy director of public prosecutions, Patrick Moran, told the court Wednesday that the crown was giving up its attempt to recover the money.
How is recovering the proceeds of a crime considered punishment? I steal your TV and get caught. I get sent to jail for stealing. That doesn’t make the TV mine! The whole concept is to deprive the criminal of the proceeds of his crime, not to make some trade off between the time he serves for the crime and the proceeds.
To those who work so hard, you know…some people dont see this type of money in their life. Keep it! Never show ‘them’ it….we are ALL DOING TIME – just in different locations. Just remember that you wont have the last laugh because “Though shalt not steal” is VERY real.
I don’t suppose they would be interested in a finders fee? I’m at a bit of a loose end, or at least I could be for a share of the $350k, maybe 50:50?
More incompetence born of arrogance. Getting screwed at every turn. UK. Please make it end. We are plainly incapable of running our own affairs.
…and, to know that these people have law degrees and boast outrageous salaries. The entire DPP department needs to be revamped, including the Chambers of the Attorney General. The only adjective that come to mind when reading the number of gerrymandered & botched cases, along with such nationally embarrassing display of incompetence from these high-ranking government staff is “USELESS”.
Crime pays in this UK run territory it is no coincidence these Jamaicans were able to successfully rob so many institutions and remained undetected for quite sometime. They have successfully got away with it Another side effect of the UK run diversity operation conducted here in this overseas territory judicial and law enforcement authorities.
It’s run by the MLA. Sort of. Occasionally.
“The DPP has given up her efforts to try TO seize assets”. Not “AND”, please!
Why didn’t they ask for monetary fine or forfeiture to begin with? They are so helpless it’s ridiculous.