A FOURTH person was on Friday charged and remanded to prison for the murder of cheese vendor, Troy Ramalho, after appearing in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Nya John, 20, of Durban Street Lodge appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was not required to plead to the indictable charge. The charge alleges that on August 15, 2018 at Robb Street Bourda, Georgetown during the course of a robbery John murdered Troy Ramalho.

The youth was represented by Attorney-at-law George Thomas who applied for an early disclosure of statements. Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield stated that some statements are still outstanding.

John was, however, remanded to prison and is expected to make his next court appearance on January 18, 2019. Three men, Roy Sandford, 33, of Section “D” Sophia; Akeem Morris 26, a miner of Sandy Bob Street, Kitty and George Paton, 34, a taxi driver of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, were jointly charged for the same offence four months ago.

According to reports, Ramalho, of 11 North Road, Lacytown, Georgetown, was shot around 23:00hrs on the day in question, after he resisted the three men who were robbing him. The 45-year-old vendor, who was well-known for selling cheese and eggs in front of Rambarran’s on Robb Street, in close proximity to Bourda Street, was plying his trade when the three bandits, one armed with a gun, ambushed him.

The police, acting on intelligence, arrested the taxi driver, whose car the men had hired, at Buxton, East Coast Demerara. He reportedly told the police he picked up the men at Demico, Stabroek and at another section of Georgetown and that they had asked him to drive to Robb Street, Georgetown, where the men identified their victim.

The taxi driver is said to have told the police that the men, whom he met several months ago, also asked him to park on Alexander Street between Regent Street and North Road.
The bandits exited his vehicle and a short while after he heard loud explosions that

sounded like gunshots. He then saw the trio running towards the car. The driver related that in his getaway dash, at the junction of Camp Street and North Road, a car slammed into his vehicle causing it to spin and one of the men fell out. The man ran off and he sped away, dropping off the other two at their destination.