Black Bush Polder trio slapped with armed robbery charge

Three Black Bush Polder, Berbice men were on Friday remanded to prison after they were slapped with an armed robbery charge.
Floyd La Rose, 35, a labourer of Lot 38 Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder; Martin Kite, 46, a drainage and irrigation worker of Lot 140 Johanna North; and Dinesh Ramphal, 19, a labourer of Johanna North, appeared at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court and were refused bail.
It is alleged that on Christmas Day, the men robbed Claudette Duncan of $300,000 in local currency, US$80, three gold rings valued $200,000, one gold chain valued $50,000, one cricket gold band, a quantity of Digicel and GT&T phone cards valued at $12,000 and one BLU cellular phone. The trio were not required to plead to the indictable charge.
Police Prosecutor Corporal Lennox Poliah objected to bail on the basis that a gun was used in the execution of the robbery. He also said that the defendants were positively identified by the victim.
However, Attorney Sandra Sohan argued that the victims had stated that the bandits were masked and they could not at the time identify the perpetrators. The men will have to return to court today for a Police progress report. The matter was transferred to the Whim Magistrate’s Court.
It was reported that the bandits attacked and robbed Duncan as she and her husband, Marvin, were about to close their shop at Zambia Village. Both of them were allegedly beaten and had to receive medical attention.