Fake cops remanded

Mar 31, 2015 News

Police have arrested and jointly charged two men who allegedly posed as cops and carried out a series of

Orin Arthur

robberies at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, on March 18, 2015, during a bogus road block.
Yesterday, Rayon Paddy, 26, of 278 South Ruimveldt Park, and Orin Arthur, 25, of Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara, were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’Court.
Eight charges were read to the defendants and they pleaded not guilty to all.
Particulars of the first charge alleged that on March 18, last, at Mahaicony, being in the company of another and armed with a gun, they robbed Ishmael Subhan of $900,000 cash, one Alcatel cell phone valued $10,000 and a wallet valued $1,500.
The second charge stated that on the said day at the same location, they robbed Ravindra Mohitram of $10,000 and one wallet valued $1,500.
It was further alleged that on March 18, last, at Mahaicony while armed with a gun, they robbed Anand Rahaman of one Samsung cell phone, $15,000 cash and a wallet valued $1,500.
The duo was also charged for having eight grams of cannabis in their possession.
Further, after a raid was conducted at a house in the Diamond Housing Scheme, the police instituted four more charges on the defendants, ranging from narcotics possession to gun and ammunition possession.
It is alleged that on March 27, last, at Diamond the men had one gram of cocaine in their possession.

Rayon Paddy

The duo was additionally, charged with having seventeen .223 round of ammunition in their possession, without being the holders of a firearm licence.
They were also charged with having 12 live .32 rounds in their possession without being the holder of a firearm licence.
Moreover, it was alleged that on March 27, at Diamond, they had a .32 pistol without being the holders of firearm licence.
In addition, Paddy was charged separately for escaping from lawful custody. The charged stated that on January 27, at Georgetown, while being in the lawful custody of Constable Kevin Austin, under investigations for armed robberies, he escaped.
Paddy denied the allegation and explained to the magistrate that the policeman took a bribe from him to remove his handcuffs and shackles.
He then alleged that the officer said to him to “Do wah yuh gotta do”, after he removed the items.
Police corporal Bharrat Mangru told the court that on the day in question around 21:00hrs, the victims who are employed at Mohamed’s Farm at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, were on their way to Berbice to deliver products to customers. As the victims were on their way to Georgetown, they were stopped by the defendants along with other men dressed in police uniforms at Mahaicony.
Mangru added, that the men told the victims to exit their vehicle and ordered them to lie in the trunk. The victims complied and the defendants then drove the vehicle further up the road, abandoned it, then made good their escape with the articles.
He added that the victims managed to bore a hole in the vehicle and freed themselves. The matter was reported to the police and after intensive investigations a raid was carried out at the house in Diamond, where the defendants were found.
Subsequently, an identification parade (ID) was conducted and Paddy was identified as the one who wore the navy blue uniform, while Arthur wore the traffic police uniform.
The prosecutor objected to bail citing the seriousness, prevalence and penalty the offences attracts if the defendants are to be found guilty. He argued that the defendants are flight risks, explaining that if they are to be granted bail, there is a likelihood that they might not return to court to stand trial.
Mangru further informed the court that investigations are still ongoing and there is a possibility that other charges might be instituted. Lastly, he stated that no special reasons were advanced to the court for the men to be granted their pre trial liberty.
Arthur’s Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat requested that his client be released on bail since he is not a flight risk.
Nonetheless, counsel’s bail application was declined and the men were remanded to prison.
The offences that occurred in Mahaicony were transferred to the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court for April 8; the remaining charges laid in Diamond will be called again at the Providence Magistrate’s Court, on April 7.
Paddy will return to the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on April 17, for the escape from police custody charge.
The men were arrested around 20.30 hrs, on Friday last, during a police raid in Diamond Housing Scheme. Paddy had escaped from custody last January after being shot in the buttocks during a foiled robbery at the Popeye’s Restaurant on Vlissengen Road.