Duo remanded over $3M gas station hold-up

Two men, who allegedly robbed the Esso Gas Station of over $3M in cash and items at gunpoint last week, were remanded to prison yesterday.

Sarwan Caesar, 33, and Lorris Mussenden, also 33, were both not required to enter pleas to two joint indictable charges of robbery-under-arms, when they were read by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Caesar is a labourer and a father of five, while Mussenden is a taxi-driver of Ogle Front, East Coast Demerara.

It is alleged that on April 5, the duo used a gun to rob Ramnarine Fagu of a gold chain, a cellular phone and a quantity of cash, valued $34,000 in total.

It is also alleged that on the same day, at Vlissingen Road, the duo again used a gun to rob Esso Gas Station clerk Cindy Dhanraj of a quantity of Guyana and US currency, a quantity of phone cards and a computer monitor, valued $3,014,029 in total.

Caesar’s lawyer Patrice Henry applied for bail on the grounds that he posed no risk of flight, while Mussenden’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes, said prior to the charge his client had an unblemished record.

Prosecutor Shellon Daniels objected to the bail applications on the grounds that an identification parade was conducted and that Caesar was positively identified by one of the virtual complainants as being one of the robbers.  She went on to say that in a Caution Statement, Mussenden stated that he knew about the robbery.

The magistrate then refused bail for the duo. They are to return to court on April 22.