Six men were yesterday charged over three separate armed attacks, between January and the start of this month, in which a total of $3 million was stolen.
Delon Morgan, 31, of Lot 27 Dowding Street, Kitty; Mark Vaughn, 46, of Lot 27 Dowding Street, Kitty; Kacey Heyliger, 24, of Lot 42 Shell Road, Kitty, and Roberto Sankar, 26, of Lot 6 Pigeon Island, are alleged to have robbed Julia Chung on January 30, at Pigeon Island, of $1.2 million while in the company of others and armed with guns.
It is also alleged that in the same attack, they robbed Dexter Lowes of a .32 Taurus pistol valued at $179,000 and 8 live matching ammunition.
The amount stolen in the attack was said to be money the victims, who are employees of the Superbet outlet at Pigeon Island, collected from an agent.
Neither of the defendants was required to enter a plea to the charge.
Sankar’s attorney told the court that the defendant was the one who provided the police with footage from his home that would have resulted in the arrest of the other men.
However, police prosecutor Deniro Jones told the court that Sankar was the mastermind of the robbery and would have provided an oral confession. Sankar is said to be the son of the agent who runs the Pigeon Island Superbet shop.
The case has been transferred to the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, where the men are due to appear on March 21 for a hearing.
Meanwhile, Morgan, said to be a construction worker, and Heyliger, said to be a carpenter, were charged alongside two other men, Junior Stewart and Richard Seonarine, with the robbery of two men on March 4 at Diamond. It is alleged that while in the company of others and armed with guns, they robbed Aaron Akbar of $834,000 and Esau Akbar of $7,000 and $15,000 BLU phone.
Attorney Dexter Todd appeared on behalf of Stewart, of 14 Thomas Street, Kitty. The attorney told the court that the charges against his client are trumped up, while accusing a particular high ranking officer of telling his client that he would not allow him to be free.
Todd alleged that Stewart was also severely beaten.
Police prosecutor Jones noted, however, that there was no report made by the defendant in relation to any beating. Additionally, the court heard that Stewart has a pending matter related to the Ramada Princess Casino robbery. The prosecutor objected to bail being granted to either of the men and Stewart, in particular, whom he said committed the robberies while on bail.
The four men were then remanded to prison until March 31, when they are due for a hearing at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.
Heyliger was also read another charge which stated that on January 13, at Liliendaal, in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Dolly Singh of $1 million and an LG phone all having a total value of $1,020,000.
Heyliger, who appeared quite disturbed at the charges brought against him by the police, told the court that he had no knowledge of the crimes. He added that while in the lockups, an officer told him that he would be an innocent one in jail.
The Chief Magistrate then questioned the prosecutor in relation to how the defendant was identified and was told that it was done by persons who were on the scene. Heyliger was subsequently remanded to prison and March 21 was set as the date for a hearing on the case at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
