Trio charged with Princess Casino multi-million dollar armed robbery

Last Updated on Friday, 6 May 2016, 15:47 by Denis Chabrol

A security guard, who was employed at the Princess Ramada Hotel, and two other men were Friday charged with an GYD$8.5 million robbery committed at the Princess Casino late last month.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan,  the trio Wayne Griffith, 29,  Junior Stewart, 30 of Thomas Street, Kitty and the security guard, 35-year old Andre Blackman of Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara- were not required to plea to the indictable charge.

Police said that, being armed with guns, they robbed Daniel Ronald and Alpha Ramadar of more than GYD$8.5 million shortly before 4 AM on April 29, 2016 at the casino located at Providence, East Coast Demerara.

Prosecutor Deniro James applied for the case to be trialed summarily, while adding that the case file was incomplete.

They were remanded to prison until May 20, 2016.

Attorney-at-Law Mr. George Thomas, who represented Griffith and Blackman, Attorney-at-Law Mr. Mark Conway who represented Stewart, told the court that their clients were beaten by police and asked the magistrate that permission be granted for them to be taken to a doctor.

The court was told that attempted murder charges could eventually be laid because a policeman was shot to his abdomen by one of the bandits. In all five persons -Eon Garraway, James Gregory, Orlando Knights and Udairan Sookraj  and Police Lance Corporal Andrew Richardson- were injured during the pre-dawn attack.

Prosecutor Jones also informed the court that Griffith and Stewart have pending court case for a similar charge before City Magistrate, Fabayo Azore.

The prosecution opposed bail because of the seriousness of the offence, firearms were used and the policeman remains hospitalized.

Griffith was caught while hiding in a Maintenance Room at the hotel with a gun in his possession,  security guard Blackman was arrested after investigators learnt that he was the mastermind  and Stewart was nabbed days after with almost GYD$1 million in wet cash in his possession.