A 22-year-old self-employed mason yesterday pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery under arms when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. Daziel was subsequently refused bail and remanded to prison.

It is alleged that on February 4 at Canje River, Berbice, Vandel Daziel of 446 Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara, being armed with a gun stole from Yaho Roberts one boat engine, food items, five bird cages and one wooden boat, totalling $1,255,000, property of Yaho Roberts.

Attorney-at-law Rexford Jackson, who represented Daziel, made an application for bail to be granted to his client on the grounds that the offence is a bailable one. He added that his client posed no flight risk  and had been cooperating with police investigations into the matter.  Jackson also told the court that no weapon was ever found on his client.

Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith however objected to bail stating that the offence is a serious one. She said the accused was caught by two witnesses with the stolen items and they notified the police. Griffith later made a submission that the matter be transferred to the relevant jurisdiction to be dealt with accordingly.

His matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for March 3.