GDF officer in quartet freed of robbery charge
A GUYANA Defence Force (GDF) officer and three other soldiers were, on February 11, freed of an armed robbery charge at Matthew’s Ridge Court, North West District.
Magistrate Allan Wilson, before whom they appeared, dismissed the case against Lieutenant Lancelot Gordon and Lance Corporals Shawn Lord, Orwin Woodruffe and Teon Moffat.
They had been jointly accused of robbing  Brazilian miner Francisco Dos Silva at a camp in the Baramita/Five Star, also in Region One (Barima/Waini) in May, last year.
It was alleged that the quartet robbed Dos Silva, at gunpoint, of 30 pennyweights of gold valued $246,000.
The four were represented by attorneys-at-law Mr.Vic Puran and Mr. Gregory Gaskin.
Gaskin had submitted that the charge was trumped up by the GDF High Command for public relations purposes and that the evidence, so far available, did not support it.
The lawyer also questioned the legal status of the virtual complainant, who did not attend Court in August and November 2009, when, on the latter date, the DPP instructed that the charges against Moffat be withdrawn and an additional indictable one, of demanding with menace, be slapped on the other three.
However, last February 4, Dos Silva made his first appearance and told the Court he had no desire or intention to pursue the prosecution nor give any evidence against the remaining trio.
Magistrate Wilson then invited comments from the Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Edmund Cooper and Defence Counsel Gaskin, before dismissing the summary robbery under arms charge and discharging the accused in the indictable demanding with menace case.
The GDF had, in June 2009, interdicted all of ranks but Moffat was recently reinstated with full benefits.