…released on $500,000 bail each
Missing: Joshua David
Seven men accused of kidnapping 24-year-old Joshua David, who remains missing, were jointly charged and granted bail of $500,000 each in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday. The men appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty.
The accused are Aaron Alleyne, known as ‘Cats,’; Wayne Barker, 34, from Laing Avenue, Georgetown; Damion Barlow, 32, from Sophia; Dwayne Griffith, 27, also called ‘Sheep’; and Daventai Mars, 21, from Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown. Also, Alpha Poole from D’Aguiar Park, Greater Georgetown; Osafo Peters also known as “Saddest” of William Street, Kitty, who appeared in court virtually.
Alpha Poole and Osafo Peters
Joshua David, known as ‘Bricks’, was abducted on September 26, on Main Street, Georgetown, after leaving a local restaurant where he had gone to purchase food. His disappearance has gripped many, sparking concerns and leading investigators to comb the backlands of Buxton and Annandale on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) in search of clues. Despite their efforts, David’s whereabouts remain unknown.
In court on Friday, the seven men were not required to plead to the charge, which accuses them of unlawfully confining David. Meanwhile, initial charges filed against Poole, and Peters, were dropped and reinstituted as a joint charge with the other accused.
During the hearing, the defence team – Glenn Hanoman, Everton Lammy-Singh, Damion DaSilva, and Siand Dhurjon – argued in favor of bail. The attorneys emphasised that their clients had cooperated fully with the police from the start and that the crime is bailable, carrying only a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
The prosecution, however, objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and noting that the investigation is ongoing, with the possibility of more serious charges.
Aaron Alleyne, known as ‘Cats,’ Wayne Barker, Damion Barlow, Dwayne Griffith, 27, also called ‘Sheep’; and Daventai Mars
The prosecutor also told the magistrate that the police had received information that the victim was murdered and that the Police are in search of the body. The prosecutor also told the magistrate that the police have Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage that captured the accused when they committed the crime, and also eyewitnesses to the crime.
However, the defence attorneys highlighted that neither Poole nor Peters appeared in the footage and that the prosecution was not in a state of readiness to provide video evidence that the men helped in the abduction.
Magistrate McGusty requested that the video be played in court, but technical difficulties prevented it from being shown.
After deliberation, Magistrate McGusty granted bail on the condition that the men surrender their passports and report to the Brickdam Police Station every Friday between 08:00h to 16:00 h until the determination of the matter. The case has been adjourned to November 15. (G9)
The post Kidnapping of ‘Bricks’: 7 men slapped with joint abduction charge appeared first on Guyana Times.