NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Corentyne youth Vishal Michael Edwards, known as “Uncle Roy”, of Number 77 Village Housing Scheme, Corriverton and also of Lot 450 Church Street, Number 78 Village, Corriverton 

was remanded to prison Friday after he appeared before Whim Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh charged with the murder of Ravindranauth Tirkha, called ‘Engine,’ 52, of Lot 498 Block 16, Line Path Corriverton, Corentyne.

Edwards was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which detailed that between July 14 and 15th, last at Number 78 Village, Corriverton, he murdered Ravindranauth Tirkha.
The case has been transferred before the Springlands Magistrate for an August 8 calling. During the investigation, Edwards is alleged to have confessed to strangling Tirka with a piece of cloth. Tirka’s body was found on July 15 last at about 05:30hrs, lying face-down near a popular ‘backtrack’ route with blood ozing from his nostrils. His personal belongings, including cash, a gold band valued $200,000, his National Identification (ID) and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards were missing.

Investigations revealed that the GuySuCo foreman had earlier visited a bar at Springlands and had requested the bar attendant’s assistance in soliciting the services of a sex worker. Edwards allegedly colluded with the sex worker to lure Tirkha to the Springlands boat landing, where he was relieved of his valuables before being strangled.

A post-mortem revealed that Tirka died from manual strangulation.