– in foiled multi-million-dollar armed robbery
FOLLOWING the multi-million-dollar robbery which occurred at lot 36 Bel Air Gardens, Georgetown, last Tuesday, the seven alleged perpetrators including the victims’ mother/mother-in-law and cousin were all remanded to prison after they appeared in court yesterday on a joint robbery under arms charge and other separate charges.
The accused, Jermaine Mitchell, 20, of Lot 2115 North East La Penitence; Rabindranauth Seemangal, 20, of Lot 100 Shell Road, Kitty; Aubrey Simone, 21, of Lot 1414 Princess Street, Lodge;  Rayon Jones, 19, of Lot 10 Hardina Street, Wortmanville; Hardatt Kumar, 30, (no address given);  Chandradha Rampersaud, 50, of Lot 8 Pigeon Island, East Coast Demerara and Sean Hinds, 40, of Lot 552 East Ruimveldt all appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and were not required to plead to the joint robbery under arms charge.
Particulars of the offence stated that on July 12, at Bel Air Gardens, being armed with a gun, they robbed Annie Ramsood of Gy$1.4M cash, US$29,400 (equivalent to Gy$5.8M) property of businessman Malcolm Panday.
Also on the said day, while being armed with a gun, they robbed Ramsood of one blackberry cell phone valued $47,000 and $380,000 in cash, property of the said Ramsood.
Mitchell, Seemangal, Simone and Jones all pleaded not guilty to charges of having been in possession of eight live 9mm rounds of ammunition and one 9mm pistol on July 12, while they were not the holders of  firearm licences at the time.
Simone alone also faces another charge, which stated that on the said date, he knowingly had a false motor vehicle identification number as PKK 3700 knowing the said motor vehicle number to be false. He pleaded not guilty.
Police Sergeant Lionel Harvey, prosecuting, informed the court that the number six defendant Ms. Rampersaud is the mother-in-law of Mr. Panday and she was employed by the said virtual complainant as a maid.
The prosecutor said that as a result of the termination of her service as a maid, she revealed certain information to Kumar (another relative) as to where the virtual complainants keep their money and other valuables.
Harvey said as a result, the other accused were contacted and they planned the robbery. He said Simone who is the registered owner of the car, which was involved in the robbery, changed the car identification number to PKK 3700 and he, along with the other accused, turned up at the virtual complainants’ home which they invaded and took away the articles mentioned in the charge.
He said Mr. Panday managed to escape, but his wife Ramsood was cornered by the bandits who proceeded to rob her of her cell phone and cash. He said the police were contacted and they immediately went on the scene in a high-speed chase behind the accused that lasted for approximately 25 minutes. He added that the accused were subsequently caught at the Ocean Spray Hotel and were arrested.
According to the prosecutor, all of the accused were positively identified by the virtual complainants when they were placed on an identification parade.
Defence counsel Mr. Vic Puran represented Rampersaud and Hinds and noted that the evidence given by the prosecutor was spectacular, but the police have no evidence against his two clients since they were not present when police arrested the others in the alleged robbery.
The lawyer said his clients were arrested on the  basis of a statement given by one of the other accused implicating his clients. He said except for the statement given, there is nothing against Rampersaud and Hinds.
Puran, in a failed bail application, added that there is no admissible evidence against his clients. He said his clients have nothing to fear from a ‘no case’ against them and they will ensure they return to court to prove their innocence.
Prosecutor Harvey objected to bail stating that a gun was used during the robbery  and the accused broke into the virtual complainants’ home. He said the accused were all identified by the virtual complainants and the police are in receipt of caution statements from the accused.
In response to Puran’s argument, Harvey said the prosecution will be seeking legal advice on whether to proceed with the charges against Rampersaud and Hinds.
Puran then informed the court that the prosecutor is misleading the court since legal advice had been already   sought.
Attorney-at-law Mr. George Thomas represented Simone and requested that his client be given medical attention since he was severely beaten by the police when he was arrested.
The other four accused Mitchell, Seemangal, Jones and Kumar were all unrepresented. Bail was denied for all seven accused and the matters will be called again for the commencement of a preliminary inquiry (PI) on July 28.