The soldier accused of fatally shooting Colombian Jose Arturo Castillo Balcazar was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal Curt Belgrave, 23, of Cemetery Road, Lodge, Georgetown was not required to plead when the charge of unlawful killing was read to him by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.
It is alleged that on April 16 at the Wenamu River in the Arau, Eteringbang area, Belgrave unlawfully killed Balcazar.
The matter has been transferred to the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court for June 20. During the next session the case will be up for report and fixture on the commencement of a preliminary inquiry. Belgrave has been remanded and was not represented by an attorney.
Some time after 1pm yesterday Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ranks from the E&F Police Division escorted Belgrave to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The man was taken before the magistrate where the charge was read to him, and then taken away by police.
The incident for which Belgrave is accused occurred at about 10.30 am on the day in question. In a press release issued several days after the incident, police had reported that Balcazar was in a boat with four other persons when he was shot.
Reports reaching this newspaper had alleged that Belgrave was part of a GDF patrol in the area; the army has a base in Eteringbang. Belgrave and his two colleagues, who had also been held by police for questioning, were patrolling the area when they saw Balcazar and the four others in the boat. The soldiers, Stabroek News had learnt, indicated to the five persons that they should stop but Balcazar, who was manning the boat, continued to proceed along his course.
It was shortly after this that Belgrave is alleged to have shot at Balcazar. A post-mortem examination has since showed that one of Balcazar’s lungs and his heart sustained damage from the bullet.
Police had also reported that Balcazar operated a shop in Eteringbang. On Tuesday, his wife by way of an interpreter had said that when the man left for his journey along the river he was carrying a quantity of gold, diamonds and cash.
Balcazar, 52, had entered Guyana illegally after obtaining a pass to travel through Venezuela.
