Alleged Republic Bank robbers granted bail

After almost four months on remand, the men implicated in the armed robbery committed on Republic Bank’s Water Street branch were on released on $500,000 bail each on Monday by Magistrate Leron Daly.

Police Constable, Anfernee Blackman, 21, of Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; former Republic Bank employee, Shawn Grimmond of Pike Street, Kitty; Rural Constable, Gladston George, 24, of Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown and Keron Saunders, 24, of Burnham Boulevard, Mocha, East Bank Demerara, are jointly charged with the offence.

During their trial before Magistrate Daly on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, the men begged to be released on bail, noting that they are suffering while on remand.

Magistrate Daly after considering the lengthy period of remand the men faced, released them on $500,000 bail each and adjourned the matter to November 6, 2017, for the continuation of the trial.

Former Republic Bank employee, Jamal Haynes, 24, of Norton Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, pleaded guilty to the charge when the matter was first called on July 14. He was jailed for six years by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

George and Blackman are constables attached to the Guyana Police Force. The two allegedly aided the robbery attempt by providing firearms. It was reported that on the morning of July 4, three armed men entered the bank before it was opened to the public.

Haynes and his members, Elton Wray and Saunders, had reportedly planned on getting their hands on the night’s deposits since it was a three-day weekend and companies would have deposited millions of dollars in cash.

Wray, a 25-year-old, China-trained agronomist who was employed at the National Agriculture Research Extension Institute (NAREI), was shot in the chest during the robbery. He died the same day while receiving medical attention.

The perpetrators wore masks, gloves and carried handguns and opened fire on the RBL personnel inside the building. Professional Guard Service security personnel, who were on site, immediately raised an alarm and an armed response teams proceeded to the location.