Four men were yesterday charged with the abduction of another man.
Taquin Springer, Colin Manson, Shelton Bourne and Jason Rambarran were remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The allegation against the men is that on January 26, at Georgetown, they abducted Gregory Leitch, with intent to secretly confine him. They were not required to plead to the indictable charge of abduction, when it was read to them.
Springer, 29, of 161 South Turkeyen, is a mechanic; Manson, 23, of 377 Turkeyen, is an electrician; Bourne, 26, of 22 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, is a miner; and Rambarran, of 7 Bel Air Village, is also a miner.
Attorney George Thomas, who represented the men, told the court that his clients were innocent of the charge and would vigorously vindicate their names.
According to Thomas, the men are known to Leitch, whom they were attempting to assist in a difficult period. The lawyer said that he was surprised that his clients were eventually arrested and charged. Thomas added that he did not wish to get into details of the matter, which he said will be left for the trial.
He then made an application for them to be admitted to reasonable bail, saying that they had no previous convictions, posed no risk of flight, had fixed addresses and had been cooperating with police.
Thomas, who in his plea for bail said that Springer suffers from malaria, was granted a request to have the man receive medical attention.
In presenting the prosecutions’ case, prosecutor Lionel Harvey related to the court that the virtual complainant (VC) was given instructions to post a package to the interior on January 25.
He did so. The next day, Harvey said, the defendants then approached Leitch to find out what he had done with the package.
After relating to the men that he had posted the package to the interior as was instructed, the prosecutor said that the quartet then forced the complainant into their car and drove away.
According to Harvey, the men threatened to kill Leitch. The court then heard that Leitch made an alarm, which led to the arrest of the men by the police.
Leitch was not present at court.
The prosecution objected to the bail application made by the attorney, citing the seriousness of the allegation.
After listening to the case, the prosecutions’ request was granted and the men were remanded to prison. They were ordered to return to court on February 17 for reports.
