A man charged with gold smuggling was slapped with two additional charges when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Roy Arjune was charged with illegal departure from Guyana by sea on March 3 from an unauthorized port and with entering Guyana by sea on March 6 without the consent of an immigration officer. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Arjune’s attorney, Nigel Hughes asked for the man to be released on his own recognizance since he was already on a million-dollar bail and was attending court as stipulated. However, Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle pointed out that the charges carried imprisonment and placed Arjune on $20,000 bail on each charge.
Arjune, 34, a carpenter of Success, East Coast Demerara had appeared in the same court on March 19 and was charged along with Isaac Sarjoo and Richard Sarjoo with illegally exporting 35lbs of raw gold without paying the necessary royalties to the Gold Board.
Another man, Albert Sarjoo was charged with conspiring with Arjune to export the raw gold between December 1, 2007 and March 3, 2008. The men were all granted $5 million bail each although their attorney, Hughes, had argued that the charges were fiscal ones.
Chief Justice Ian Chang later reduced the bail, later the same day, to $1 million each for the illegal export charges while Albert was placed on $500,000 bail.
The Sarjoos who are cousins, and Arjune were intercepted in Suriname with the gold. The trio was reportedly travelling in a locally registered car when they were apprehended in Suriname.
Arjune’s latest matters continue at the Springlands Magistrate Court on May 9.
