Six remanded over ammo, explosives at Camp Groomes

-counsel says they were after scrap metal

Five men and a juvenile who according to the police were nabbed with a quantity of ammunition and explosives at Camp Groomes on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway were today remanded to prison after appearing before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

It is alleged that on January 24 at Camp Groomes Michael Singh, Paul Sookhoo, Michael Sookhoo, Umkar Persaud, Robert Persaud and a juvenile who cannot be named for legal reasons had in their possession fifty-four 122 cannon warheads, being components of ammunition without lawful authority.

On the same day also, the men are accused by the police of having in their possession a quantity of explosives, to wit two aquatic mines without lawful authority.

The jointly charged men were not required to plead to the indictable charges of unlawful possession of ammunition components and explosives when they were read to them at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

28-year-old Singh is a labourer and father of one of Speightland Lower Kara Kara; Paul Sookhoo, 37, is a father of four and a woodcutter of Speightland, Lower Kara Kara. Umkar Persaud, 50, a father of one, resides at 1K Lamaha Street, Kitty while 18-year-old Robert Persaud lives at 15 Middleton Street, Campbellville and does mining.

48-year-old Michael Sookhoo is a lumber man and father of one of Speightland, Lower Kara Kara and the juvenile, 15, is a woodcutter of the same area.

In giving the facts of the case, prosecutor Lionel Harvey told the court that on the day question at approximately 2 pm, two ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were on patrol when they realised the men had what appeared to be scrap iron.

Harvey related to the court that the ranks who were just outside their base at Camp Groomes decided to investigate and they found the men who had the items mentioned in the charge in a canter vehicle.

A report was subsequently made which led to the arrest of the defendants.

Attorney-at-law Vic Puran who represented the six told the court that, not only are his clients innocent of the charges levelled against them but they are also anxiously awaiting the trial to clear their names of the accusations.

Puran in his address to the court said that after Camp Groomes had been affected by a device which detonated some years ago, remnants of the explosion had been left in the area which were used as scrap iron.

According to Puran, his clients were not trespassing on the GDF base and genuinely believed that they were handling scrap metal which they thought they were given permission to do.

Puran argued that his clients are not “that brave” to enter an active army camp and knowingly remove unlawful items.  The lawyer said too that even the prosecution in its facts acknowledged that “there was a belief that the items were scrap metals.”

The lawyer then added that the “so-called” ammunition and explosives were at no time in the possession of his clients but were rather in a nearby heap. He again stressed that his clients are innocent, adding that he preferred to leave further details for the trial.

He then made an application for the men to be admitted to reasonable bail on the grounds that they all with the exception of Michael Sookhoo have unblemished records.

Puran disclosed that Sookhoo had a traffic matter some years ago. In his plea for bail, the lawyer said that the defendants have fixed addresses, pose no risk of flight and have been cooperating with police investigations.

After listening to the case however, the acting chief magistrate granted the prosecution’s request and remanded the six to prison. Their matters were transferred to the Christianburg Magistrates’ Court for February 1.