Omali Rogers was once again remanded when he appeared yesterday before Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle slapped with a charge of ‘accessory after the fact of murder’.
It is alleged that between April 22 and June 2 at Christmas Falls, Upper Berbice River, Rogers, 30, of Linden received, relieved, comforted, harboured, assisted and maintained wanted men Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins, Clebert Reece called Chi Chi, Cecil Simon, Otis Fifee and Mark Roydon Williams, also known as Roydon Durant or ‘Smallie who are wanted for the Bartica massacre.
Rogers was also remanded on Monday when he appeared before the said magistrate charged with harbouring wanted man ‘Fineman’ and members of his gang. The charge read yesterday was read to him on Monday but was adjourned by the magistrate after attorney Glen Hanoman contested that the particulars of the charge were not made out against any section of the law.
The prosecution having sought advice returned to institute the indictable charge yesterday.
Hanoman said in court yesterday that when one examined the particulars of the two charges against Rogers it amounts to exactly the same thing. Therefore his client is being charged twice for the same conduct; one indictable and the other summary. He said that the prosecution because of this duplicity should decide which of the charges they wish to proceed with.
Magistrate Robertson-Ogle said that it is best that this be discussed before the trial magistrate.
Hanoman said that he intended to take the matter to the High Court and that is why he brought it up in the lower court.
This matter was transferred to the Kwakwani Magistrate’s Court for July 18.
On Monday Rogers along with Royston Waldron, 36, of Friendship, East Bank Demerara were charged with knowingly harbouring ‘Fineman’ and members of his gang whose photographs have been publicly displayed or published by the police as wanted persons in the offence of murder at Lusignan and other places.
Waldron was also remanded on Monday by Magistrate Hazel Octive–Hamilton when he appeared before her on four charges of robbery under arms. Waldron is the number one defendant in three of the matters and number two in the other.
The other named defendant is Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins. It is alleged that on June 16 at UNAMCO Road, Upper Berbice River Waldron while being armed with a gun robbed Tyrone Halley of one Toyoto Hiace minibus-BGG 501 and a cell phone, Anita Hunte of one cell phone, Indra Bissoon of two cell phones and Donna Ford of one cell phone.
Hanoman also representing Waldron in these matters told the court that the institution of these charges is a “publicity gimmick” intended to appease the public. He said that in the end the matters will amount to nothing due to the “unorthodox” manner in which the police are going about their work.
He also said that because the possibility of ‘Fineman’ appearing before the court is dim the matter will remain a Preliminary Inquiry (PI).
Recently 32-year-old Sheldon Williams of 74 Seventh Field, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara was remanded after he was charged with knowingly harbouring Mark Roydon Williams, also known as Roydon Durant or ‘Smallie’. ‘Smallie’ and a 14-year-old boy of Strathspey Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara were also remanded after they were jointly charged with the murders of the Lusignan 11. ‘Smallie’ was also further charged with the murder of Kumar Singh called ‘Mango man’ and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal Ivor Williams.
Additionally miners Clebert Reece, 30, and 44-year-old Roger Simon, a father of nine, have been charged with the Bartica murders and James Anthony Hyles has been charged with the Lusignan murders.
All of the matters against Rogers and Waldron are set to continue at the Kwakwani Magistrate’s Court on July 18.