The four former Republic Bank tellers and a carpenter who on May 19 appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court to answer the charge of conspiracy to commit a felony yesterday had the charge against them dismissed.
When they appeared before the acting chief magistrate yesterday, their attorneys Vic Puran and Adrian Thompson informed the court that their clients had repaid the sums in full. Thompson added that ever since the bank had been repaid the money, its representatives ceased showing further interest in the matter. He then made an application that the matter be dismissed also for want of prosecution.
Wilfred Macheo, 19, of 12 Paradise, East Coast Demerara; Steven Gangadeen, 18, of 165 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Deodat Narine Rampersaud, 21, of 199 Grove Housing Scheme, EBD; Saisnarine Rampersaud, 22, of 199 Grove Housing Scheme, EBD, and 38-year-old Manniram Behari, a carpenter of 153 Grove Housing Scheme, EBD, all pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them on their initial appearance before the magistrate. Macheo, Gangadeen, Deodat Narine Rampersaud and Saisnarine Rampersaud were former tellers of Republic Bank Limited.
Macheo, Gangadeen, Narine Rampersaud and Saisnarine Rampersaud were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.
It was alleged that between April 29 and May 2 at Georgetown, with intent to commit a felony, they conspired with a person or persons known or unknown to obtain $50,000 by forging one Republic Bank withdrawal slip knowing same to be false. They also allegedly between April 30 and May 2 at Georgetown, with intent to commit a felony, conspired with a person or persons known or unknown to obtain $200,000 by forging one Republic Bank withdrawal slip knowing same to be false.
Macheo, Gangadeen and Narine Rampersaud were further charged with five counts of conspiracy to commit a felony along with Behari who was charged with one count of the said offence which stated that between April 24 and May 6 at Georgetown, with intent to commit a felony, they conspired with a person or persons known or unknown to obtain $200,000 by forging one Republic Bank withdrawal slip knowing same to be false.
Attorney-at-Law Tanya Worrel who had appeared for the defendant in association with Mishka Puran had told the court that Macheo, Gangadeen and Narine Rampersaud had repaid the sum of $1.1M to Republic Bank. She had noted, however, that the decision of these three to make payments to the bank was not because of guilt related to the charges laid against them but rather to save themselves the embarrassment of being before the courts.
Puran and Thompson supplied receipts to the magistrate showing that the defendants had repaid sums in excess of what they were alleged to have removed from the bank. The total sum was not disclosed.
The matter against the men was subsequently dismissed.