Taxi driver charged with abducting wife, breaching protection order

Days after a wanted bulletin was issued for him and he was captured, taxi driver Ronald Balgobin was on Monday charged with abducting his wife and breaching a protection order.

Balgobin, 31, a resident of Linden, appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.

He was charged with abducting his wife, Basmattie Bassant, called “Penny”, 37, of Annandale, East Coast Demerara.

Balgobin is also accused of breaching a protection order.

The incident reportedly occurred on October 27, 2024 at approximately 10:00 hrs at Annandale, ECD.

When the case was called, police said the victim was absent from court, despite being warned to be present on January 31, 2025.

Balgobin was remanded to prison on the abduction charge. That matter was postponed to March 13 for a report.

However, he pleaded guilty to breaching the protection order and was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment.

Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Balgobin last week in relation to the incident. He was captured by police at around 19:00 hrs last Friday in Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, after being found hiding under a bed.

Bassant was reportedly abducted from her home by Balgobin and his accomplices while she was only dressed in a bath towel.

She later managed to escape after calling for help along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, where a passing police patrol rescued her.