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Kaieteur News
Missing GEA employee …
Police detain suspect’s associates Police yesterday detained several associates of suspect, Sherwin Francis, while intensifying the search for Guyana Energy Authority (GEA) employee, LeVoy Taljit, who has now been missing for two weeks. The prime suspect, 32year-old Francis, is still in custody, but sources said that police need more evidence if they are to charge him in connection with Taljit’s disappearance. This is despite the fact that the Soesdyke resident has reportedly admitted to hiding the missing man’s Toyota Raum and selling his mobile phone. It has now been 72 hours since police detained Francis, and investigators will have to apply to the High Court to keep him in custody. Sources close to the missing man said that the suspect was found in possession of financial documents belonging to Taljit. According to the sources, the detained man claimed that Taljit gave him the phone and a financial document. He also said he subsequently sold the phone. Yesterday, detectives and
Still missing, LeVoy Taljit, residents again scoured forested areas near the Soesdyke/Linden Highway in the hope of finding clues to the 25-year-old man’s whereabouts. An associate of Taljit’s said that the man claimed to have befriended the 25-yearold GEA employee some time ago. The associate also said that the Soesdyke resident claimed that Taljit visited his home around the time of his disappearance. He alleged that the young man had a bag of money and asked the
suspect to stash the Toyota Raum. He is said to have also claimed that Taljit left in another vehicle. According to the source, the suspect had initially told detectives that the missing GEA staffer was alive and well and that he has spoken to him from Paramaribo, Suriname. He reportedly admitted some time later that this was a fabrication. Phone records revealed that someone had used Taljit’s mobile phone in the vicinity of Marudi, on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, a few days after he went missing. The individual also used Taljit’s phone to make a call to a land line. The individual had reportedly inserted a different SIM card in the cell phone, without being aware that the phone could still be traced when activated. It was around that time that residents from Yarrowkabra found the abandoned vehicle. There are now suggestions that robbery is the primary motive for Taljit’s disappearance. There have also been suggestions that persons dealing in fuel smuggling might be involved in his disappearance.
Saturday January 05, 2013
Notorious bandit jailed for 22 years Notorious bandit Richard Barrow, called 110, and Hensu, 30, of Lot 75 Mocha, East Bank Demerara and of Smythfield, New Amsterdam was yesterday sentenced to a total of 22 years in jail. He was wanted for a number of crimes including robbery and robbery under arms, and escaping from lawful custody. He was recently shot by police and hospitalized. When he was taken to court on Wednesday he was refused bail by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo. During yesterday’s appearance he pleaded guilty to five charges, four for robbery under arms and one for escaping from lawful custody. The case for the prosecution as presented by Corporal Orin Joseph was that on February 3, last year, at Susannah (No19) Village East Coast Berbice, Barrow while with others and armed with guns, robbed Chetram Sirkissoon of one minibus, property of Inderjeet Deosarran. Another charge was that on the same day and time while being in company with others and armed with guns, robbed Chetram Sirkissoon of $200,000 property of James Ross. The next charge was that on the same day, time and place while also being in company with others and armed with guns he robbed Thakoordial Roshahair (a passenger in the minibus) of $14,000. He was sentenced to five years on each charge. The men had entered a minibus en route to Corentyne when in the vicinity of Susannah, one of them stopped the vehicle to relieve himself, whilst the
Richard Barrow vehicle was stopped, Barrow and the others reportedly put a gun to Sirkissoon’s head. Sirkissoon was the minibus driver. The men then took hold of the vehicle and drove it to a desolate area aback of Palmyra where it was found abandoned. The fourth charge read that on January 27, at No. 7 Village, East Coast Berbice, in company with others and armed with guns, he robbed Indranie Ramnarine of six gold finger rings, two and half pairs gold bangles, two gold chains, one pair gold earrings, two wrist watches, one cell phone, GT&T and Digicel Phone cards property of Indranie Ramnarine. The woman was at home around 09:15 hrs when Barrow and others barged into her home and robbed her. He was sentenced to five years on that charge. The final charge was that while in custody at the Central Police Station on February 10, 2012, he escaped from lawful custody. Barrow and another notorious criminal, Mark Lee Young, who was also jailed for a number of robberies
including the daring $14.9 M daylight robbery on February 7, on Rams Jewellery World and Pawn Shop at Lot 52 Public Road, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice had made good their escape from the police station. However the police, acting swiftly, had captured Young in the Berbice River during the night. Barrow managed to slip through the police cordon and escaped. The police surprised Barrow in Georgetown. He was captured and escorted to Berbice and placed in custody at the Central Police Station. He escaped again from the Central Police Station less than 24 hours after he was captured. He was recaptured on July 19 after he was shot and injured by police. The police acting on information had moved in at his mother’s place and surprised him. Barrow was shot as he attempted to make a getaway. The man had once jumped from the top of the MV Torani and swam out of the Berbice River and escaped after he realised that he was being cornered. Defense Counsel Charrandass Persaud in a plea of mitigation asked the court to show some mercy to Barrow who has decided not to waste the court’s time and pleaded guilty. The armed robbery charges involving the minibus will run concurrently. The other armed robbery charge will run consecutively with the others, while the escape from lawful custody charge will run concurrently with the others. Barrow will serve 10 years in jail