Friday, March 29, 2024

Crown contends: Ince the mastermind

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ANDERSON RYAN INCE was a mastermind and an opportunist who took advantage of those around him and the Government service.

That was the contention of Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Donna Babb-Agard QC as she gave closing arguments in the million-dollar theft case against Ince, a clerical officer at the Psychiatric Hospital.

He is accused of stealing $1 118 500 belonging to the Black Rock, St Michael hospital between August 1, 2003 and August 1, 2005. He was also charged with money laundering, having engaged in transactions totalling $1 118 500 which were the proceeds of crime during the same period.

Ince has denied the accusations.

Babb-Agard, holding up an English apple, told the nine-member jury in the No. 2 Supreme Court yesterday that Ince was a bad apple who took advantage of the system.

“He has done the Government service an injustice, and used the accounts department in the Psychiatric Hospital as his personal piggy bank . . . .

“He has in fact raped the Government system in Barbados . . .Over a million dollars has been stolen from the Government of Barbados. Do you know how much income tax that can pay? Or how many salaries that can pay?” she asked.

The lead prosecutor urged the jury to only concern themselves with evidence given from the witness stand.

“We called 55 witnesses, six of whom were not called either because they were overseas or incapacitated. Of those witnesses, 22 are tellers,” she said. “You only need concern yourself with what you heard from inside that [witness] stand.”

Babb-Agard said Ince spent the money on people like his friends and fiancée Marsha Gill.

She added that he started stealing amounts of $3 000 and increased the sums as the days went by, taking larger sums, sometimes five days apart. 

“Every friend he made, he made with an agenda in mind. Every friendship had an agenda, as he showed with his strategic allegiances. He did it to Alicia Collymore, Terryann Badenock, Marsha Gill and Mr Holder . . . . Mr Ince is the bad apple in the Government service of Barbados, and I ask you to find him guilty of theft and money laundering,” she said.

However, defence counsel Steve Gollop asked the jury to ignore all distractions surrounding the alleged theft and money laundering of the $1 118 500.

“Be objective and follow the money . . . . Show that you are diligent in your investigations to show how the money got from where it should be to where it went . . . . Theft is still theft, but disabuse your mind of the figure. Ignore the distractions surrounding the case, and look at the evidence brought before you over the last three weeks,” he submitted.

The matter was adjourned until Monday when Justice Michelle Weekes is expected to give her summation. (RA)

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