Four persons, including a woman who is the number one defendant, were on Tuesday placed on $200,000 bail each by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson for allegedly breaking and entering Ram’s Pharmacy and stealing over $6M in pharmaceuticals.
Alicia Griffith, Delroy Harris, Martin Emtage and Devon Rodney all pleaded not guilty to breaking and entering Ram’s Pharmacy and stealing a quantity of pharmaceuticals valued $6,676,105, property of Lakeram Odit on February 12 at Georgetown.
Griffith, 32, of 103 Regent Street, who is the number one defendant, told the court that she is a deportee and helps out her father who owns Duncan Shipping. On the day in question she said she was going to the market when she noticed the doors to the pharmacy open and asked a friend to call the owner and tell him.
On her way back from the market, she said, she was picked up by the police.
Number two defendant, 31-year-old Delroy Harris told the court he was a pumpkin vendor. He gave his address as 313 Regent Street. Harris told the court, “me ain’t know ‘bout this incident.” According to Harris, he was going to “catch pumpkin lady fo’day morning” and as he was passing Cummings and Regent streets the police apprehended him and told him that he had broken into the pharmacy. Griffith was already in police custody, Harris pointed out.
He said he told the police he was going to do his business and one of the officers “chuck me up and beat me.” He also told the court that he was assaulted by the officers at the Prashad Nagar Police Outpost.
He identified one of the officers in court who was present when he was beaten by the police.
Harris said his hand was held behind his back and stamped, dislocating his shoulder. He was in court with his right shoulder in a sling.
Meanwhile, the number three accused also denied any knowledge of the incident. Emtage, 45, of 151 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara told the court he was a carpenter. He denied knowing any of the other defendants.
According to Emtage, “I don’t know what transpired or anything. Police stick me up and put me to lie down.” He added that the police then went into the pharmacy and brought out bags of items he and the others were accused of stealing before taking them to the station.
And the number four defendant, Rodney, 34, of 177 James and Campbell streets, Albouystown, who had served time previously on a similar charge, told the court that he was pushing his cart when he was picked up by the police.
Police Prosecutor Inspector Stephen Telford told the court that the VC had received a call from persons who told him that his store was being broken into. At the same time, Telford said, police responding to a 911 call arrived at the scene and caught the defendants in the act.
Telford asked that bail be refused pointing out that Griffith and Harris had given different lot numbers to the police.
Meanwhile, the VC said the stolen items were on consignment and when he responded to a phone call that his pharmacy was being broken into he saw the defendants there.
The four defendants are to return to Court 10 on March 13.
