Joel Grannum, 22, and Akeem Holder, 19, were yesterday remanded on charges that they shot and robbed Malali Mission Toshao Wibert Hall in Linden two weeks ago.
The two men appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, which heard that on April 15, at Linden, being armed with a gun, they robbed Hall of $967,000. On the same day also, they are also alleged to have unlawfully and maliciously discharged a loaded firearm at Hall, with intent to maim, disfigure or cause him actual bodily harm.
Grannum, of Victor and Durban streets, and Holder, of XX 13 North East La Penitence, were not required to plead to the indictable charges.
Police Corporal Venetta Pindar, in presenting the prosecution’s case, said that on the day in question at about 21:30 hours, Hall was sitting in a Chinese Restaurant at Coop Crescent, McKenzie Linden when Grannum approached him and snatched a bag containing the money. According to Pindar, Grannum then discharged a round, which hit Hall in his abdomen. The court heard that the accused then made good his escape on a motorcycle, where Holder was waiting.
Attorney Tanya Warren, who represented Holder, made an application for her client to be admitted to reasonable bail. The lawyer said that according to her instructions, her client knew nothing about the incident for which he had been charged. She said that Holder was at his aunt’s residence in Diamond, on the East Bank of Demerara, when he was picked up by the police and subsequently charged.
When given a chance to speak, the unrepresented Grannum said that the police just picked him up and charged him for a crime he is innocent of. He explained to the court that he was taken to Linden and placed on an identification parade and was not identified by the complainant as the perpetrator that committed the alleged acts against him. When asked by the Magistrate if this was indeed the case as related by Grannum, Pindar responded in the affirmative but went on to explain that he had given the police a caution statement to which he signed. In his defence, however, Grannum said that the only reason he signed the caution statement was because he was severely beaten by the police and forced to affix his signature to the document.
The Magistrate, however, explained the accused that the case will be determined when the trial is conducted.
The prosecution then made a successful request for the two men to be remanded to prison. Their matters were transferred to the Christianburg Magistrates’ Court for May 3.
