Two of the five accused charged with robbing Kaieteur News in October of last year changed their pleas to guilty last week and were sentenced to 50 months and 40 months imprisonment.
The two men, 33-year-old Ryan Wharton of Lot R4-574 Canary Street, Tucville, Georgetown who is a former employee of the news entity and Harry Songster, 36, a taxi driver of Lot 36 Hyde Park, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge which was read to them at their first court hearing on October 14th, 2022 in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
The charge which was brought against the duo states that between October 9 and October 10 at Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, while being armed with a gun, they robbed Kaieteur News which is owned by Glenn Lall, of $38,893,420 in cash, one Republic Bank cheque valued $9,120,590, US$9,306, one black .32 Taurus pistol with serial number FHS60749 valued $350,000 along with ammunition worth $480,000, one firearm case worth $25,000, and two handles worth $10,000, along with magazines worth $60,000.
It was said that they had also robbed Noel Junior of $5,000 and Wayne Little of one cellular phone worth $44,000.
When the two accused appeared at the Diamond\Grove Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Judy Latchman on January 30th, they changed their pleas to guilty and as such the Magistrate sentenced Wharton, who was said to be the mastermind of the robbery to 50 months imprisonment while Songster was sentenced to 40 months behind bars.
Also appearing on the same day was another accused, 23-year-old Lemuel Grant of Lot 52 Russell Street, Charlestown, Georgetown who was also charged with the robbery and was granted bail in the sum of $200,000.
Two other accused who were also charged with the robbery are 35-year-old Joshua Junior of Lot 223 Middle Road, East La Penitence who was working as a security guard at Kaieteur News on the night of the robbery and Ivor Belingie, 25, also called ‘Wild life’ of Back Circle, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown. They were further remanded to prison.
Along with the five accused, two more, Collis Haywood, 40, a chef of Lot R2-578 Canary Street, Tucville, Georgetown and 35-year-old Kevin France, a taxi driver of Lot 708 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown were separately charged with possession of firearms and ammunition. They were also further remanded to prison.
The police had stated that their enquiries had revealed that three persons were at the time at the news entity performing duties when three suspects pulled up in front of the building in a gold- coloured Spacio motorcar, entered the building and held the three employees at gunpoint. They then put them in a room where they instructed them to lie face-down on the ground.
It was reported that one suspect remained in the room with the employees, while the other two proceeded upstairs into the Accounts Department where they wrenched off the Yale padlock that the door was secured with. They then broke the lock to one of the desk drawers and under the desk was a safe with an undisclosed amount of cash which the suspects stole.
