Three Brazilian men were slapped with a robbery charge and arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.
Gabriel Fanun Da Pinha, Elton Diego Doarete and Luenderson Mangabeira of Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and by means of a translator, all plead not guilty to the charge.
It is alleged that on January 23, 2018, at Barrack Retreat, Lethem, Region Nine
Dwayne’s Phone and Jewellery Shop
(Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) while being armed with a gun, they robbed Maxine Buckley of a quantity of watches, cellular phones, gold jewellery, costume jewellery, headsets and $3.8 million; all property of Dwayne Grant.
Representing Da Pinha and Doarete, Attorney Jerome Khan told the court that the trio usually visit Lethem to shop and that was what they were doing on the day of the robbery. He stated that his clients were not even at the scene of the robbery but had heard of it. The trio was at a friend’s house in Tabatinga and were arrested, the lawyer told the court. Khan in a bail application said the only reason the men were arrested was because the real perpetrators resembled his clients and that there was no evidence that could indicate that they had indeed committed the crime.
However, the Police prosecution objected to bail on the grounds that a dangerous weapon was used and the defendants are flight risks. He highlighted this due to the fact that they are not Guyanese and have no ties here. As such, bail was denied. The case will continue at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court on February 6.
Reports are at about 15:00h on January 23, 2017, the trio entered Dwayne’s Phone and Jewellery Shop and held a female employee at gunpoint.
The men then relieved the woman of cash, cellphones and jewellery and attempted to make good their escape using her car. However, Police ranks were in the vicinity and promptly responded after an alarm was raised. The men were subsequently apprehended.
