Two young men appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Thursday charged with the murder of 27-year-old Orlando Jonas known as ‘Lano’ of Number One Road, East Berbice-Corentyne, who was stabbed to death on September 5.
Sampson Gangaprashad, 25, of Tain Village and Krish Nandlall, 27, of Chesney Village were not required to plea to the joint charge; they were represented by Donovan Rangaiah in association with Sanjeev Datadin and Motie Singh.
The charge was read by Magistrate Renita Singh who appeared virtually who remanded the accused to prison until September 25.
As they exited the Court seated in the open back pick-up of a Police vehicle, one of the accused was in tears and shouted to his relatives that he was beaten.
Their families say that the young men are innocent of the charges.
On Monday night and Tuesday morning family members of Jonas staged a protest action and lit a fire across the Number One Public calling for justice.
Jonas was stabbed in his abdomen, face and slashed to the throat while he was making his way home from work.
Jonas, who was a construction worker, was in the company of his friend and colleague 19-year-old Mahendra Ramnarine, who was also injured when one of the suspects attempted to slit his throat but slashed his face instead.
The incident occurred at approximately 19:45 h on the Albion Public Road.
Ramnarine told the News Room that he and Jonas were riding their bicycles to go home when they passed two men. He recalled that one of the men said “something” to Jonas who then turned back and confronted them.
“I see he turned back. I think the guys said something to him but I don’t know what. By the time I reached, they done slashed him to his neck and stabbed him,” Ramnarine had told the News Room.
He said one of the suspects then turned his attention to him and tried to cut his throat with the knife but he pushed him away when the knife slashed his face.
Ramnarine was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital while Jonas collapsed and was left on the road for some time before he was taken to the same hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Jacqeline Jonas, an aunt, described him as a hardworking and peaceful person; he was the father of one.
