-have other matters pending in court
Two labourers who were cornered at Weldaad after a police roadblock were remanded to prison yesterday when they appeared at the Whim Court before Magistrate Chandra Sohan to answer charges of four counts of robbery under arms committed on a family at Kingston, Corriverton.
Reports are that around 4:30 am on August 28, 31-year-old Hubert‘Broomsie’ Bayass and Winston ‘Dutchie’ Mc Kenzie, 28, both of Dukestown, Corriverton robbed Mohamed Ishmael Khan, 62, and his wife Kareeman ‘Zoreena’ Goolmohamed, 63, and the couple’s two granddaughters; Fareeza Tannall, 20 and Aleya Smith, 7, of $3M in cash, gold jewellery, a cellular phone and two Ipods. They were held at Weldaad that afternoon after fleeing from the roadblock. They were chased down by public-spirited citizens and held. Reports are that the men entered the Corriverton house by removing five louvre panes from a window on the southern side while the couple was relaxing in their hammocks under the house on the northern side. Police prosecutor, Sergeant Michael Grant told the court that Khan was relieved of cash and jewellery amounting to $1.8M, Goolmohamed was robbed of $281,000 and Tannall and Smith were relieved of cash and gold jewellery to the tune of $675,000 and $6,000 respectively.
Grant asked for bail to be refused on the grounds of the nature and gravity of the alleged offences in which a gun was used. He submitted that both men have matters of a similar nature pending at the Springlands Court and that they reportedly committed the offences while on bail. He argued that if granted bail, there is the likelihood that they would commit similar offences and would flee the jurisdiction. The prosecutor further submitted that most of the articles that were in the possession of Bayass and Mc Kenzie when they were held after a roadblock at Weldaad several hours after the robbery “were identified by the victims as their property.”He said too that the “alleged offences are of serious nature and carry a punishment of life imprisonment with strokes.”
Attorney-at-law, Charrandass Persaud, representing the defendants made an application for bail, arguing that the offences are bailable. He submitted that his clients are “known to the police” and they are not flight risks.
He also argued that the matters that are pending against his clients have been engaging the courts for a long time. After listening to the submissions Magistrate Sohan refused the defendants bail and ordered them to return to the Springlands Court on September 24 for report.
