K/News robbery suspects for court today

Dec 08, 2022 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – The defendants in the October 10, 2022 robbery at Kaieteur News’ Saffon Street, Charlestown office are slated to return to court today for the disclosure of statements in the matter.

Those charged and on remand are: Ryan Wharton, 33, a former Kaieteur News Research Assistant of R4-574 Canary Street, Tucville, Georgetown, 35-year-old Joshua Junor, Kaieteur News Security Guard of Middle Road, La Penitence, 25-year-old Ivor Belingie called ‘WildLife’ of Back Circle, East Ruimveldt, 23-year-old Lemuel Grant, a clerk of Russell Street, Charlestown and 36-year-old Harry Stongster of Hyde Park, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Collis Haywood, 40, a chef of Lot R2-578 Canary Street, Tucville and Kevin France, 35, a taxi-driver of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

On Wednesday, the defendants appeared before the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. They were once again remanded and are scheduled to appear in court today.

According to reports, during the wee hours of Monday, October 10, three bandits entered the Kaieteur News office located at 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown office and stole a safe containing millions of dollars along with a firearm and ammunition.

Wharton was the first to be arrested. While in custody, he reportedly confessed to plotting the crime with Junor who was one of two security guards who were on duty during the commission of the robbery – and several others.

According to police, Wharton and Junor had confessed to planning and carrying out the crime while their accomplices admitted to playing their roles as well. Wharton and Junor had reportedly been planning to rob the company a while back but had only finalised their scheme the Sunday morning prior to the robbery. They contracted Stongster and Belingie to be their accomplices and borrowed a Toyota Spacio motorcar from Grant to transport them to and from the Kaieteur News office.

During the wee hours of October 10, they put their plan into motion. Junor turned up for work duties early while Wharton drove the borrowed car with Stongster and Belingie as passengers to the location. Belingie entered the building and held their accomplice Junor, as well as the other security guard on duty, and the graphic artist at gunpoint, while Wharton and Stongster headed upstairs of the two-storey building and broke the door of the company’s Accounts Department.

They also broke a drawer, stole petty cash and fetched out the safe which contained the other items that were stolen. The two men loaded it into the car, which was parked just outside the Kaieteur News office, and then escaped with Belingie. Junor remained and waited until his accomplices were a safe distance away before contacting his superiors to inform them that he and his colleagues had been robbed of cellphones and $5000 cash.

After splitting up the cash at Wharton’s home, a sixth suspect, Haywood, was contacted and given the stolen firearm and ammunition to keep. He reportedly hid them in his backyard. Investigators were able to crack the case after individuals were able to identify Wharton as one of the bandits seen in footage of the robbery. As it relates to France, he was reportedly the suspect who provided the firearm that was used to carry out the robbery. Following the robbery, an investigation was launched and this led to France being arrested. A search was conducted at his home and he reportedly handed over the firearm to police.

Wharton, Junor, Stongster, Belingie and Grant were jointly charged with robbery under arms, contrary to Section 222 (c) of the Criminal Law (offences) Act Chapter 8:01.

According to the particulars of the offence, between October 9, 2022 and October 10, 2022 at Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, while being armed with a dangerous weapon, the defendants robbed Kaieteur News owned by Glenn Lall of $38.8 million, a Republic Bank cheque valued at $9.1 million, US$9,306, one black .32 Taurus pistol serial number FHS60749 valued $350,000, ammunition valued at $480,000, one firearm case valued at $25,000, two handles valued at $10,000 and six magazines valued at $60,000.

Additionally, the men robbed Noel Junor, the other security guard who was on duty of $5000 and Wayne Lyttle, a Graphic Artist who was also on duty of one cellular phone valued at $44,000. The defendants denied the charge read to them and the Chief Magistrate had remanded them to prison until November 10, 2022.

Moreover, Haywood and France were charged individually and not for the actual robbery that was carried out on the media outlet. They made their second court appearance on Wednesday. This publication had reported that Haywood was slapped with two charges which allege that on October 10, at Canary Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession 210 matching rounds of ammunition along with a .32 Taurus pistol, while not being a licensed firearm holder. Haywood’s lawyer had told the court that his client lives at a property that is occupied by several persons and his position is that he had no knowledge, possession or control over the firearm and ammunition that were found.

However, the Police Prosecutor had informed the court that the firearm and ammunition that Haywood handed over to the police were the items that were stolen during the robbery at Kaieteur News. It was reported that during the investigation, the police went to the home of Haywood and during a search in his presence, the defendant handed over a bag containing the items mentioned in the charge.

Meanwhile, France was slapped with two charges that allege that on October 10, 2022, at East Ruimveldt, he had in his possession one .9mm pistol and 10 .9mm ammunition. As for the other five defendants, they were charged jointly and are scheduled to make their second court appearance today before the Chief Magistrate.