TWENTY-five-year-old Orin Arthur, a construction worker of Block X, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara and 26-year-old Rayon Paddy, a vendor and Ex-Guyana Defence Force rank of 278 South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown were both remanded to prison when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at that Georgetown magistrate’s court on Monday last.Both men were slapped with eight charges each stemming from their illegal activities of posing as police officers and setting up roadblocks primarily along the Region 5 Main Road where, according to police documents, they perpetrated several robberies on persons they encountered during their illegal activities.

Over the past months, police have been working on intelligence as they sought to get their hands on the persons who have been setting up the illegal roadblocks. The incidents were occurring primarily along the East Bank Demerara corridor, but after the police intensified their operations in that area, the men moved their activities to the police ‘C’ Division — East Coast Demerara.

The police have said that one other person, identified as a former police officer, is still on the run after he had managed to escape from a police dragnet set up on Friday following police receipt of information regarding the men’s hideout in a Diamond, East Bank Demerara home.

In court on Monday, it was proposed that on March 27, at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, the two had in their possession eight grammes of cannabis sativa, but they pleaded not guilty to that charge.

It was also proposed that on March 18, at Mahaicony, ECD, being in company of others and armed with a gun and offensive weapons, the men robbed Ishmael Subhan of a wallet, cellular phone and cash, all totalling $25,000, while also relieving him of $900,000, said to be the property of Shameer Mohamed. Again, the two pleaded not guilty as charged.

The court further heard that on March 18, again at Mahaicony, ECD, the men robbed Ravendra Mohitram of a wallet and cash totalling $11,500; while the charge of robbing Anand Rahaman of a Samsung cellphone and wallet together with $3000 were all again pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate Beharry also read them charges of being in possession of one gramme of cocaine; 17 live rounds of .233 ammunition without either man being holder of a firearm licence; 12 live rounds of .32 ammunition without either man being the holder of a licence; and charges of being in possession of a .32 pistol without either man being the holder of a firearm licence.

All these charges represent offences the men had committed on March 27 at the Diamond premises; but, again, the men pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution informed the court that the victims who were robbed on March 27 were on their way back to Garden of Eden, EBD from Berbice, as they are in the business of transporting and delivering chicken.

At approximately 21:00 hrs, while the VCs were returning from Berbice, they were stopped at a roadblock set up at Grove by the accused, who were dressed in police uniform and were armed with guns when they stopped the canter the victims were travelling in at the time.
The victims were then ordered out of the canter truck and placed in its enclosed back prior to being robbed of their valuables and the day’s earnings. The victims were then driven a short distance from where the men had committed the “stop and robbery”.

With the use of a metal instrument found inside the tray of the canter, the men were eventually able to free themselves from being confined in the tray of the canter, following which they made a report to the police station located some distance away.

After the police had successfully nabbed the suspects, they placed them on an identification parade, and they were positively identified by their victims.

The magistrate upheld the prosecution’s objection to the granting of bail to the accused after he pointed out that there were additional charges to be levelled against the duo, coupled with the fact that, if granted bail, they may fail to return for their trial.

Attorney-at-law Mr. Paul Fung-a-Fat represented Arthur. He told the court that his client is not a flight risk, and, if granted bail, he would return for his trial.

Both men were nevertheless remanded to prison. The matters allegedly committed at Mahaicony were transferred to the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court for calling on April 8.

The East Bank matters will see the duo appearing before the Providence Magistrate’s Court on April 7.

Paddy was additionally charged separately for escaping from lawful custody. Paddy was arrested earlier this year after robbing the Popeye’s fast food outlet, but had managed to escape from the Georgetown Public Hospital while under police guard.

By Leroy Smith