Three men, including a police constable and a former cop who were charged with robbery with aggravation were freed at the Whim court yesterday by Magistrate Fabio Azore.
Reports are that on December 23, 2009 constable Colin Jonas of Canje along with his former colleague, Satish Rajnarine of Orealla and Marvin Samaroo of Cumberland, East Canje robbed businessman, Ramesh Kalicharran, 53, of Grant 1805 Crabwood Creek.
Rajnarine was never arrested while Jonas who was represented by attorney-at-law, Mursaline Bacchus and Samaroo, had been placed on $300,000 bail each.
Police prosecutor, Corporal Shurland King, told the court that Kalicharran was in his shop around 8 pm when two of the men entered and pretended to be customers.
The businessman was about to deliver beverages when the defendants reportedly handcuffed and robbed him, then made good their escape. He said the police were alerted and later stopped a car along the No.76 Village road and arrested Jonas and Samaroo. The men were jointly charged after the file returned from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Bacchus submitted that there was no evidence to implicate his client and made a no-case submission.
He also argued that his client was never properly identified and that the victim only saw him while he was in custody. Magistrate Azore subsequently dismissed the case against the men.
Jonas was dismissed from the force a few days after the robbery without receiving any benefits. He tried to get the attention of a number of persons, including the Director of Public Prosecutions by writing to them.
