A father of five was yesterday charged with harbouring one of the men who is wanted by police for questioning over the gold heist carried out last month at the Wallison Enterprise, Gordon Street, Kitty.
Akeem Rajkumar, 31, of Lot 295 North East La Penitence, Georgetown, was charged with harbouring a fugitive when he appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in a city court.
He was not required to plead to the charge, which alleged that on August 7, 2021, at Leopold Street, Georgetown, while knowing that Antonio Maraj, called “Thuggie,” and others committed an armed robbery, received, comforted, and harboured him.
Rajkumar was represented by attorney Darren Wade, who made an application for reasonable bail to be granted. He said that Rajkumar maintains his innocence and said that the man is merely a newspaper vendor and father of five who had one other brush with the law. Wade said that Rajkumar faced an assault charge but hasn’t had any other matters since. He added that his client, a father of five, is not a flight risk.
However, Police Prose-cutor Annalisa Brummell objected to bail. According to Prosecutor Brummell, Rajkumar gave an oral confession to the police that he helped Maraj. She told the court that Rajkumar allegedly was paid to cut gold that was stolen during the robbery. The man allegedly told the police that after cutting the gold, he was paid $100,000. She added that Rajkumar also had a confrontation with the goldsmith, whom he is familiar with.
Rajkumar was denied bail and the matter was adjourned until October 19.
Maraj is among three men who are wanted concerning the heist. Dequan King, called ‘Titus’ and ‘Quanie,’ and Jamal Hazel, are the other suspects.
Maraj and Hazel are suspected to have been two of the three robbers who were seen in security footage carrying out the crime, while King is suspected to be their getaway driver. Three men, Keyon King, Delroy Jackson, and Peon Lee, have been charged with the robbery and remanded to prison. Keyon King is a GDF Sergeant, while Jackson and Lee had been guards at Wallison Enterprise. While Keyon initially pleaded guilty to robbing the business of $38 million in cash and $20 million in raw gold, he recanted prior to his planned sentencing.
Three men entered Wallison Enterprise, located at Lot 23 Gordon Street, Kitty, Georgetown, on the pretense of selling gold. Once inside the building, they held two employees, a 45-year-old goldsmith and a 20-year-old female cashier, at gunpoint and ordered them to the safe which contained the valuables. Police said that the suspected getaway car was found abandoned in front of a suspect’s home at Cummings Lodge. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had previously told Stabroek News that the suspect now identified as Dequan King has since fled to the interior and efforts are being made to locate him.
According to Blanhum, persons in the Cummings Lodge area reported to the police that prior to leaving, Dequan brought home a canter loaded with various household items, which he bought a day after the robbery. They have been seized by the police, who suspect they were purchased with some of the loot.
During the investigation, Blanhum told this newspaper, it was revealed that Lee, who was employed as the Chief Security Officer of Wallison Enterprise, purportedly orchestrated the robbery. He is alleged to have contacted Keyon and told him of the plot to commit the crime. Lee then allegedly put Keyon in contact with Jackson. According to Blanhum, it was Jackson, who was allegedly channeling information to his accomplices as to when they should carry out the crime.
Acting on information, Blanhum said, investigators went to Keyon’s Vergenoegen house, where a search uncovered cash buried in the backyard.
