Two of the three men implicated in the murders of Romeo De Agrella and his son Clint De Agrella yesterday appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Court.
It is alleged that between March 20 and 23 at Iron Punt, North West District, Lloyd Roberts, 27, a minibus driver of 3667 North Ruimveldt murdered Rome De Agrella and Clint De Agrella.
And also between March 20 and 23 at Iron Punt, North West District, 27-year-old Tyrone Da Silva, a farmer and boat operator of Marlborough Pomeroon River allegedly murdered Romeo De Agrella and Clint De Agrella.
The duo was not charged jointly neither did they appear together. Da Silva appeared some minutes after Roberts had made his appearance before the Acting Chief Magistrate. Hukumchand who appeared in association with Kamini Parag and Sonia Parag enquired from the court if the charges could not be laid jointly, sparking a discussion which continued at the bench.
When asked by the magistrate if anything was needed to be said, Hukumchand replied, “Not at this point, we’ll leave everything for the trial.”
Roberts and Da Silva, who both had an expressionless look, were remanded to prison until August 18. Their matter was transferred to the Mabaruma Magistrate’s Court.
The decomposing remains of the De Agrellas of Grant Strong, Hope, Lower Pomeroon River, were found days after they failed to return home. A post-mortem examination revealed that they died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud had told Stabroek News that the men’s murders were drug-related.
Police, in a statement, had said that investigations revealed that the victims had left Venezuela and after not returning as expected they were reported as missing on March 22. The statement said their bodies were found with gunshot wounds while their boat bore bullet holes. It was recovered without the outboard motor engine. The boat was found overturned in the Waini River by the occupants of a passing passenger vessel. It was subsequently pulled ashore.
In June 2006, Roberts was held in neighbouring Suriname after a cocaine bust along with Sean Belfield, called ‘Buck-up,’ the third person fingered in connection with the murder of the De Agrellas.
He was also held along with now convicted drug trafficker Roger Khan and former policemen Paul Rodrigues. Khan was expelled from that country and intercepted by US officials en route to Guyana while Belfield and the others remained in Suriname for an extended period.
They were later deported to Guyana and pleaded guilty on the charge of illegal departure and were fined $20,000 each at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. They were accused of departing by sea between June 15 and 16, 2006 at Springlands, Corentyne from a port not authorised for such departures. Meanwhile, police on Thursday issued a wanted bulletin for Belfield, the former bodyguard of Khan.
According to police, Belfield is 29, 5’7”, and is dark in complexion. He is self-employed and his last known addresses are Lot 83 Garnett Street, Newtown, Kitty; Lot 23 Queen Street, Kitty and Henrietta, Essequibo Coast.
Belfield is no stranger to the public and he became known back in December 2002 when he, Khan and Haroon Yahya were held after the discovery of sophisticated electronic surveillance equipment and a high powered arms cache in a pick-up at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara.
At the time of their arrest they had told law enforcement officials that they were in search of Shawn Brown and the other prison escapees who had fled the Camp Street prison earlier that year. The trio was later charged with possession of arms and ammunition but the case against them was subsequently dismissed by the late magistrate Jerrick Stephney at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court the following year.
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Belfield is asked to contact the police on 225-6411, 225-2700, 226-2917, 225-8196, 226-1333, 225-2722 or 911 or the nearest police station.