Four men, alleged to be members of a gang who carried out a number of robberies on mining camps in the Aranka, Cuyuni area, appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday, charged with five counts of robbery under arms and were remanded to prison.
Meanwhile, a female suspected to be part of the gang was arraigned on two charges of receiving stolen property and was placed on $200,000 bail.
Marissa Ridley, 26, of 185 Fourth Street, Alexander Village pleaded not guilty to the charges and was represented by attorney Tameshwar Sarwan.
The first charge alleges that on August 21 at Batavia, Cuyuni River, she received one Polaroid DVD player valued at $55,000 knowing same to be stolen, property of Antonio Beserra De Souza. It is also alleged that on the same day, she received from Jermain Jerrick, one Acer laptop and one cellular phone valued at $240,000, property of Terezinha Leite Da Forta.
In his bail application, Sarwan said that his client operates a business at Aranka where she sells clothing and haberdashery.
He said that she was being charged because she was in the same location with others who had been accused of committing crimes in the area. He maintained that his client had not committed any offence.
Police Prosecutor Shellon Daniels objected to the granting of bail since she said that investigations are still ongoing and she expects that Ridley will be charged with other offences shortly. She added that Ridley was arrested as a result of a state operation in the area.
When she was asked by Magistrate Octive-Hamilton why the police were instituting a charge although investigations were still in process, Daniels said that the statutory 72 hours for holding a suspect was up and therefore the charges were laid.
The magistrate then informed that the offence was bailable.
As a result, Ridley was granted bail and the matters put down for September 29 at Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
Meanwhile, Kendel Lewis of Bee Hive, Jermain Jerrick of Ann’s Grove, Elton Grant of Victoria, and Stephen Lewis of Ann’s Grove, all at East Coast Demerara addresses, were not required to plead to the indictable charges.
It is alleged that on August 20 at Aranka Landing, being armed with guns they robbed Terezinha Leite Da Forta of one Acer laptop, six ounces raw gold and other items valued at $2,463,000.
On the same day, being similarly armed they robbed Joacy Magalhaes De Souza of three ounces five pennyweight of raw gold and other gold jewellery valued at $1,529,000. Further, they then robbed Rosiane Nascimento Costa of jewellery valued $100,000. At Top Side, Aranka Backdam on the same day, they robbed Edimilson Teixeira Da Silva of a camera, cash and other articles valued at $291,000. Finally, being armed with guns they robbed Antonio Beserra De Souza of a DVD player, jewellery and other items valued at $136,000.
While the charges were being read, the accused were smiling and at one point one of them shook his head.
Daniels made an application for all of the accused to be remanded and the matter to be transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for September 29. Her application was then granted.
As they were being led to the prisoners chute, one of the accused was heard asking why he was being charged when the police are the ones who bother the miners by demanding gold.
On Saturday acting on a tip-off, the quintet was arrested by police.
