Days after he was arrested for questioning in relation to the execution-style killing of gold dealer Ricardo Fagundes, Rondell Bacchus was yesterday afternoon released from police custody without being charged.
Bacchus’ attorney, Damien Da Silva, informed Stabroek News that his client was released on $100,000 station bail just after noon yesterday after the 72-hours period in which he would could have been held without charge elapsed.
Da Silva added that Bacchus’ release came about an hour after he filed a writ of Habeas Corpus in the High Court.
The police yesterday afternoon also confirmed that Bacchus was released from custody.
They said he is required to report to them on specified days as the investigation continues.
While he was being escorted out from the Brickdam Police Station lock-ups on Friday, the police allege that Bacchus maliciously damaged a police vehicle. He has since been charged with this offence and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Fagundes, a family friend of convicted drug dealer Roger Khan, was gunned down outside of the Palm Court bar on Main Street, Georgetown, on April 21.
In the surveillance footage seen by Stabroek News, Fagundes was seen walking towards a black vehicle, which was parked in front of Palm Court.
As he approached the vehicle, two gunmen emerged from a white car parked on the eastern carriageway of Main Street, ran towards him and opened fire. After several shots, Fagundes collapsed. However, the gunmen still continued to shoot at him, running to the front of the vehicle where Fagundes lay.
Shortly after, one of the gunmen rushed back to the getaway car. His accomplice, however, ran towards Fagundes, stood over him and discharged more rounds before he re-entered the waiting motorcar.
The car sped away along Main Street and hours later a car matching the description was found burnt in Swan Village, Soesdyke/Linden Highway. Police are still to confirm whether it was indeed the getaway car.
Sources told Stabroek News that the police recovered 30 spent shell casings at the scene. Sixteen were of the type used in an AK-47 rifle while the other fourteen were from a 9mm pistol.
Fagundes was shot approximately 20 times.
Bacchus turned himself into the police on Tuesday about an hour after a wanted bulletin was issued for him in relation to the murder of Fagundes.
While in custody, he was questioned in relation to the crime. Among the questions Bacchus was asked was whether he knew Fagundes and his whereabouts on the night in question.
Da Silva had previously told this newspaper that at the time in question, Bacchus was at the home of a relative and nowhere close to the scene of the crime.
He had said from the inception his client has denied any involvement in the crime.
On Thursday, Da Silva told Stabroek News that the police have no evidence linking Bacchus to the crime. “I was told there is no evidence. It is obvious there is no evidence. It’s just merely questioning him….There is nothing connecting him to the crime,” he had said.
Bacchus was previously charged and convicted.
On May 22, 2019, he was sentenced to 16 years, 8 months behind bars, after pleading to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
While he denied the capital charge of murder on which he was originally indicted, Bacchus admitted guilt on the lesser count, accepting that on July 24, 2008, he unlawfully shot and killed scrap iron dealer Akbar Alli, whom he had robbed of more than $2 million.
Eleven years were deducted from the sentence for the period of incarceration, which meant Bacchus would have still have been required to serve five years.
Following the arrest of Bacchus, questions were raised as to how the suspect was out of prison after being jailed in 2019.
Questioned about this on Tuesday, Da Silva had said that his client was released on parole and for good behaviour in October 2019, months after the sentencing.
However, Stabroek News understands that Bacchus was at no point granted parole. It would therefore mean that he was released on other grounds. Specific details surrounding his release remain unknown.
At Fagundes’ recent funeral service, Khan said that he was the real target of the gunmen and he called on President Irfaan Ali to ensure the investigation is “impartial” as he demanded justice.
