Four mining company workers were yesterday charged with invading a rival camp, shooting a worker and causing millions of dollars in property damage.
The accused are Kwincy Critchlow of Lot 164 Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Jason Critchlow of Lot 62 Middle Street, Georgetown; Troy Pellew of Lot 430 Mocha, EBD; and Godfrey Christmas of Lot 44 Supply, EBD, who are all employees of Tesouro Resources.
The four men all pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful wounding, discharging a loaded firearm and damage to property which were read to them by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 1.
The charges state that on May 10, at White Water, Potaro, the four men unlawfully and maliciously wounded excavator operator Ray Murray with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him actual bodily harm. It is also alleged that on the same day, they discharged a loaded firearm at Murray with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him actual bodily harm. It is further alleged that they unlawfully and maliciously damaged a quantity of items, including engines and twelve drums of diesel, amounting to $7,300,000, and which was the property of Mario Figueira. The police’s case is that on the day in question, the four accused, armed with shot guns, went to Figueira’s mining camp over an alleged land dispute and started to fire several shots, thereby causing injury to Murray and millions of dollars in damages.
After the attack was reported, further investigations were conducted and the Director of Public Prosecutions advised that the four men be charged.
Murray had previously told Stabroek News that he and others were working when a group of armed men invaded the camp and shot at fuel tanks and engines. Murray was shot to the back of his head with pellets.
Attorney Nigel Hughes represented all four men and applied for bail to be granted in reasonable sum. He noted that the accused were not flight risks and the police had released them on their own recognisance after the incident was reported and they complied with all the requirements since. According to Hughes, Kwincy is the head of security at Tesouro Resources, while the others are just regular staff members. He described the company as a well-organised one, which has complied with international standards. He also told the court that most of the security guards from the company are ex-military members.
Hughes said he was instructed that the alleged victim was asked once prior to the incident to move from the premises where the camp was operated but failed to do so.
He said the men went on the day of the incident and asked them to move once again and they refused, after which they started to discharge several rounds. The matter was reported, furthered investigations were carried out and they were charged.
Attorney K Juman Yassin was present in court on behalf of the plaintiffs. He told the court that there is an injunction granted and it was breached by the defendants.
The injunction, he noted, was to restrain members of the Tesouro Company from going onto the land. On the day of the incident, Yassin told the court the document was even shown to the men and they refused to follow it but instead started to shoot.
Prosecutor Bharat Mangru had no objections to bail since the accused were placed on their own recognisance before they were brought to court by the police and due to the fact that they were asked to report to the ‘F’ Division yesterday morning before court and they all did. As a result, the magistrate set bail at $300,000 for each accused and the matter was transferred to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court for July 20.
