A FOURTH man has been charged in connection with the recent pirate attacks on fishermen at sea.
Terry Joseph, of Lot 6 Farm Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday, on an indictable charge of robbery under arms. Particulars of the offence said, on September 18, in Pomeroon, within the territorial sea of Guyana, armed with a handgun and in the company of others, he robbed Shameer Saffie of one cell phone and a wrist watch, worth a total of $14,000.
Police Inspector Stephen Telford, prosecuting, objected to bail and asked that the case be transferred to Charity Court on the Essequibo Coast and Joseph was remanded to prison, until October 15, at the request of the prosecutor.
On September 13, three other men were also refused bail on several charges of robbery under arms in relation to the same piracy.
Richard Mangal, 26, of Lot 44 Pigeon Island, East Coast Demerara; Eon Sampson, 26, of Mocha/Arcadia, East Bank Demerara and Gary Joseph, 42, of Barima River, North West District are alleged to have:
                                        
* on September 8, at La Bonne Intention (LBI), on the  
       vessel ‘Sir Leonard’, within the territorial sea of
       Guyana, armed with handguns, robbed Jamir Khan
       of one boat engine among other things with a total
       value of $2.3M, property of Leonard Jettoo;

* between September 7 and 8, at LBI, stolen one fishing
       vessel, valued $400,000, property of Munilall;
    
* on September 8, at LBI, within the territorial sea of
       Guyana, armed with handguns and aboard fishing
       boat ‘Zabeeda’, robbed crew members of items worth
       $510,000, property of Mohamed Odeen;

* the same day, in Pomeroon, within the territorial sea
       of Guyana, armed with handguns, robbed crew
       members of items valued $360,000, property of
       Shameer Saffie;
    
* also on that day, in Pomeroon, within the territorial
       sea of Guyana, armed with handguns on fishing
       vessel ‘Naresh’, robbed crew members of items worth
       $616,500, property of Vibert Singh;
    
* the same day, too, being armed with handguns,
       robbed crew members of items valued $1.9M,
       property of Anjanie Singh;
    
* that day, as well, within the territorial sea of Guyana,
        armed with handguns and on fishing vessel ‘Annan’,  
        robbed crew members of items worth $686,000,
        property of Ramnarine and

* within the territorial sea of Guyana, armed with
         handguns on fishing vessel ‘Ramdeen’, robbed crew
         members of items valued $240,000, property of
         Nandlall Gopaul.
    
Previous occasion
    
On the previous occasion, when the other accused made their appearance, the prosecutor informed the court that the virtual complainants employed crew members who were on their fishing vessels at different locations when the accused confronted them with guns.
The prosecutor said the accused ordered the virtual complainants and their crew members to hand over all the items and then made good their escape but, on receipt of information, the Police, later, went to the home of another person who is also implicated in the piracy and recovered some of the booty.
The magistrate ordered the retrieved property returned to the owners.