Berbice terror gang slapped with 23 charges

Sep 17, 2009 News

Six men who police believe created havoc in the East Berbice region were remanded to prison yesterday by Magistrate Chandra Sohan after they slapped with a total of 23 charges at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court.

Injured bandit Rajesh Basher in hospital.

The men are Ramananand Pritipaul called Ramu, 33, a labourer of 23 Armadale West Coast Berbice; Rajendra Persaud called Dan, 39, a cane cutter of 49 Fourth Street, Tain Corentyne; Syjit Ramoutar, called Manu, 30, a labourer of Lot 72 Section ‘B’ Letter Kenny, Corentyne, Berbice; Jewan Pertab called Tadlu, 42, a cane cutter of lot 21 Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice; Ganesh Tikalall called Andy, 27, also a cane cutter of 48 Miss Phoebe, Port, Mourant, Corentyne and 18-year-old Rajesh Basher called ‘Tan Tan’, a labourer of Armadale, West Coast Berbice.

The men were charged with a number of offences including robbery under arms, possession of firearms without being the holder of a licence and being in possession of ammunition without being in possession of a licence.

In all the crimes committed the men used guns and cutlasses.

They were also charged with committing the spate of robberies between Friday 19th June 2009 and Sunday 13 September 2009.

Over $15M was plundered from residents during the period and it is alleged that they usually brutalized the victims including shooting and chopping them.

They were nabbed when one of the bandits, Basher, who is still hospitalized, and is the nephew of Pritipaul, was shot while in the process of committing the last offence.

The men who were all wearing masks had held up Brijanand Carpen and his employee Lalchand Seepersaud at the Albion Koker and robbed them at gunpoint. During the process Basher was shot.

The police had launched a manhunt for the injured bandit and after an intense probe they received word that the injured man was hiding out at a house at Armadale on the West Coast of Berbice. The ranks then swooped down on the premises and after more investigations they were able to arrest the other gang members.

From the information gathered, the police conducted several raids and unearthed a number of stolen items which were identified by a number of the victims, including outboard engines, jewellery and musical instruments suspected to have been stolen by the gang members.

Most of the items were founds at the home of Pertab.

The cops were also able to “dig up” a quantity of guns, ammunition and masks buried at the Port Mourant foreshore.

In opposing bail, Police Prosecutor, Corporal Roberto Figueira, cited the nature, gravity and prevalence of the type of offences the men have been charged for. He further stated that if given bail the men are likely to commit further offences and there is a possibility that they would not return for their trial.

Corporal Figueira in further submissions stated that both Tikalall and Ramoutar had matters of a similar nature before the court, and while on bail they committed the other offences.

Kaieteur News understands that the men confessed to investigators of being involved in most of the crimes including an offence which was committed at Albion, about 500 yards from the police station, in which the residents were blaming the police of being involved.

They told investigators of moving around with quakes to give people the impression that they were fishermen.

They would then dispose of the equipment and commit the act before hiding their catch and selling some.

They were not require to plead to the robbery charges, but pleaded not guilty to the charges of possession on arms and ammunition.

Some of the victims were in court and were openly upbraiding the bandits who they said they recognized from their speech and size.

The matters were transferred to various courts for police reports, the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court will see them appearing on October 2, the Whim Magistrate’s Court on October 5 and the Albion Court the following day.