Two men accused of a robbery outside the Wild Palm Disco on Sherriff Street were yesterday remanded to prison after appearing before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
The allegation against Asif Mohamed, of 196 Campbellville Avenue and Marvin Liverpool, 34, of B Field Sophia, is that on January 10, at Georgetown, being in the company of others, they robbed Jamal Veerasammy of a quantity of jewellery, cash, a digital camera and a cell phone, valued $280,000 in total.
Mohamed and Liverpool denied the charge of robbery when it was read to them at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Mohamed, who was also accused on January 10 of escaping from lawful custody while at the Kitty Police Station on a charge of robbery, pleaded not guilty to same. An arrest warrant has been issued for Terry Morgan, who was charged along with the duo. Police say the man is still on the run.
In presenting the police’s case, prosecutor Lionel Harvey told the court that Veerasammy had just exited the nightclub, when he was approached by five persons. According to Harvey, one of the three defendants held on to the man’s neck and choked him while the other two relieved him of the articles mentioned in the charge. The court heard that an alarm was raised, which led to the arrest of the accused. Three other persons said to be involved in the incident were never caught or identified.
The court heard that after being taken to the Kitty Police Station, Mohamed and Morgan escaped from custody. Harvey said that Veerasammy was able to positively identify the defendants “as the persons who robbed him,” by which time Mohamed and Morgan had run out of the station.
When given a chance to respond, Mohamed and Liverpool said that they had been severely beaten by the police at the Kitty Station. The magistrate, after listening to the complaints made by the men, ordered an immediate investigation and the case was put down for several hours for a report. Subsequently, Harvey informed the court that the men were not beaten by the police but rather at the hands of angry civilians and patrons of the disco who gave chase and caught up with them. The unrepresented duo, however, maintained their allegations and pleaded with the magistrate to view the surveillance cameras mounted in the police station, which they said recorded all that had transpired.
Mohamed, who was moved to tears as he told of the alleged beatings by the police, showed the court several cuts and bruises he said he sustained at the hands of the law enforcers. The man also showed the court several packets of tablets which he said he used for the pains he has been suffering.
They both then made an unsuccessful request to be admitted to reasonable bail. Their matters were transferred to Court Five for reports on January 17.
