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Apr 25, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News
Three men who had been accused of carrying out a multi-million-dollar robbery at the Bourda Post Office are set to stand trial at the High Court in Georgetown for abducting a member of the Guyana Police Force.
Simeon Williams, of Lot 36 Savage Street, West La Penitence; Stravo Evans, of 169 Middle Road La Penitence and Oliver Franklin, of 102 La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara are charged with wrongfully restraining and abducting, Andre July, a police rank.
According to reports, the men stormed a Pitbull minibus which had brought $42,522,000 to the Bourda Post Office on the morning of April 1, 2015. One of them allegedly placed a gun to the head of Darwin Hinds, who was the driver of the vehicle, while another one took possession of the vehicle, with his accomplice forcing the policeman into the back of the bus.
It was reported that they drove off with the cash and abandoned the bus with the police rank and driver at Cemetery Road, Georgetown.
Yesterday, Magistrate Judy Latchman ruled that a prima facie case was made out against the three accused based on evidence led by Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves. This was after the accused were each called on to lead a defence during which some of them elected to gave unsworn testimonies and call witnesses. Williams, Evans and Franklin will go on trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.
They are currently out on bail.
The men were initially charged with four counts of robbery under-arms. However the Director of Public Prosecutors (DPP) withdrew the charges against them to facilitate a preliminary inquiry into the abduction charge – the more serious offence.
Particulars of the first charge withdrawn had alleged that on April 1, 2015 while being armed with a gun, they robbed July of one G3 rifle and 20 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, property of the Guyana Police Force. The second charge alleged that on the same day, at Regent Street, the men robbed July of $42,522,000, property of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC). It was further alleged that on the same day at Regent Street, they robbed July of one cell phone valued $10,000.
The trio was also accused of robbing Hinds of one Pitbull minibus valued $3.5M, property of the GPOC, while they were in the company of others and armed with a gun.
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