Cop among 4 charged with Matthews Ridge gold heist

TIMES INT'L

Four persons were on Tuesday jointly charged for an armed robbery, where a businessman was relieved of several containers of fuel and a quantity of raw gold at Matthews Ridge Airstrip, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini).
Baldeo Francis, 37; Ramesh Singh, 45; Leon Campbell, 26 and 27-year-old Kurt Nedd; a police officer appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and were not required to plead to the charges.
It is alleged that the quartet on November 11, 2019, at Matthews Ridge, North West District, being in the company of each other and armed with guns, robbed Jose DeCosta of G$95,000 cash and a quantity of raw gold valued at G$18M, belonging to Deonarine Sookram, a businessman.
It was further alleged that on the said date at Skull Mountain, Arakaka, North West District, Francis had in his possession one .223 rifle and two 9mm pistols when he was not the owner of a firearm licence at the time.
It was further alleged that on the same day and at the same location, he had in his possession 120 rounds of ammunition when he was not the owner of a firearm licence enforced at the time.
The men’s attorneys contended that their clients were not part of the robbery nor did any of the men confess to carrying out such an act.
Police Prosecutor Ceon Blackman objected to bail being granted to the men on the grounds of the serious nature and penalty of the offence.
It was reported that the victim and his workers were at the Matthews Ridge Airstrip awaiting a plane to travel to Georgetown when he was pounced upon by the men who were armed with AK47 guns.
The businessman was relieved of the items mentioned and the men made their good escape.
However, the matter was quickly reported and Police, acting on information, stopped Francis’ vehicle. A search was then conducted in his vehicle and the raw gold was found in a container. He was then arrested and based on the information he provided to the Police, the other men were later arrested.
The Magistrate remanded the men and set November 26 for the next hearing.
Nedd was a Police Constable at the time of the incident.

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