Defence Grills Witness In Indian Fugitive's Trial

The trial of an Indian fugitive wanted by Interpol started at the District Court on Monday, with the defence grilling the first witness about the details of a robbery in Hung Hom.

Hong Kong resident Ramanjit Singh and two of his associates are accused of handling two stolen suitcases containing about US$325,000 and 50,000 euros in March last year. All three deny the charge.

The first witness for the prosecution, the businessman from whom the cases were snatched, said he was attacked by a number of people as he was receiving the suitcases containing money from a customer who bought mobile phones from him.

The man said the attackers took the suitcases and fled in a car.

The court heard that police were able to track the whereabouts of the stolen luggage because there was a GPS-enabled smartphone inside one of the suitcases. The cases were eventually found in Tai Kok Tsui on the same day as the robbery and the three suspects were later arrested.

Defence lawyers questioned the witness over why his customer made such a large payment by delivering cash which was sealed inside candy boxes. He said it was not his plan and his client had arranged everything.

The lawyers also said that some of the businessman's answers in court were inconsistent with the statements he had given to the police.

Security was beefed up at the court as Singh stood trial.

He is separately facing trial for a Tsim Sha Tsui robbery. Millions of Japanese yen were stolen when two suitcases filled with money from a currency exchange in Chungking Mansions were being taken to a bank.

Singh is wanted by Interpol for allegedly organising a jailbreak in India.