Fake cops refused bail for eight charges; former soldier accused of escape from police custody

Last Updated on Monday, 30 March 2015, 20:08 by GxMedia

Two bogus cops- arrested at house allegedly with drugs, a gun and ammunition- were Monday charged with several robbery offences.

One of them, who is a former soldier, had escaped from police custody while under guard and receiving treatment at the Georgetown Hospital for a gunshot wound he sustained during a recent robbery at PopEye’s, Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.

They were also charged with illegal possession of marijuana, a handgun and matching ammunition at a house at Diamond, East Bank Demerara on March 27, 2015.

Orin Arthur,25, of Block X , Diamond, East Bank Demerara and former soldier Rayon Paddy, 26, of 278 South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to eight joint charges.

Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry refused them bail and ordered that they be remanded to custody until April 7 for offences allegedly committed on the East Bank Demerara and April 8 for those allegedly committed at Mahaicony.

The charges are:

1.      Being in possession of eight grammes of marijuana on March 27 at Diamond, East Bank Demerara

2.      Possession of one gramme of cocaine on March 27 at Diamond, East Bank Demerara

3.      Possession of seventeen .233 live rounds without being the holder of firearm licenses on March 27

4.      Possession of twelve .32 live rounds without being the holder of firearm licenses on March 27, 2015

5.      Possession of one .32 pistol without being holder of a firearm license on March 27, 2015

6.      Being in the company of others on March 18 at Mahaicony, armed with a gun, they robbed Ishmael Subhan of a wallet, one Alcatel cellular phone and cash GUY$15,000, together valued GUY$26,500. They also robbed Shameer Mohammed of GUY$900,000 cash belonging to him

7.      Being in the company of others on March 18 at Mahaicony,  armed with a gun they robbed Ravindra Mohitram of one wallet value GUY$1,500 and GUY$10,000.

8.      Being in the company of others on March 18 at Mahaicony,  armed with a gun they robbed Anand Rahaman of one Samsung cellular phone and one wallet, together valued GUY$30,000. 

Other particulars of the offences against Mohitram and Rahaman are that they were stopped at Grove, East Bank Demerara about 9 PM by men dressed in police uniforms and armed with guns. The men grabbed the cash and other items, locked them in the Canter truck and escaped.

Court papers show that the men testified that they made a hole on the Canter truck’s tray and freed themselves.

After they were caught at the house at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, they were placed on an identification parade and charged with the offences.

Paddy was charged separately with escaping from lawful custody on January 27, 2015. The prosecution opposed bail on the grounds that the defendant is a flight risk and other charges were expected to be instituted against him.

He was shot by an off-duty policeman during a robbery at PopEye’s on Vlissengen Road and taken to the Georgetown Hospital.

Paddy’s version of the incident is that the police were bribed GUY$8,000 to loosen the hand and foot cuffs to facilitate his escape. He has to return to court on April 17.