A 30-year-old sluice operator accused of robbing a Nismes, West Bank Demerara (WBD) service station two Wednesdays ago was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Gewan Sookdeo called ‘Tony’ of Bagotville, WBD was not required to plead to four charges of robbery under arms and was remanded to prison by Magistrate Fazil Azeez.
It is alleged that at Nismes, Sookdeo along with others being armed with a dangerous weapon to wit a gun, robbed Boodram Sookdeo of $10,000 and $8,000 worth of phone cards, a total value of $18,000, the property of Gaitree Singh and a cellular phone valued at $12,000, the property of Boodram Sookdeo.
Further it is alleged that on the same date at Nismes, the defendant along with others being armed with guns robbed Anup Lall of two gold chains valued at $800, 000 and two gold bangles valued at $700,000, a total value of $1,500,000.
On the same date at Nismes it is alleged that Gewan Sookdeo along with others being armed with guns robbed Feroze Khan of $4,500 and also robbed Anil Singh of a cellular phone worth $2500 and $40,000, the property of Gaitree Singh.
Reports are that just around 7 pm on that date, four bandits descended upon the On The Go service station and held the employees at gunpoint and relieved them of the items before being forced to flee after a car turned into the station. The police were informed and following investigations three men were arrested and Sookdeo was charged after he was identified.
Attorney-at-law Lawrence Harris in association with attorney-at-law Stephen Lewis entered an appearance for Sookdeo. In his submissions, Harris declared that the charges were “fictitious” and “ridiculous”. He said that three persons were charged with the offences but only Sookdeo was before the court and the others were out on station bail. In a bail application, he said that his client is 30 years old, a sluice operator and lives at Bagotville. The defence counsel said that Sookdeo is the father of five children with another child on the way and had never been before the court previously. He said that his client had been in police custody for five days and alleged that Sookdeo was severely beaten.
Police Prosecutor Ramsahoye Rambajue in opposing bail said that investigations were not yet completed.
After listening to the submissions, the magistrate remanded Sookdeo and transferred the matter to the Wales Magistrate’s Court for next Thursday.
