Gang
linked to `Blackie'
for jury trial
THE eight men held in the Essequibo bank
robbery in which the late notorious criminal
Linden `Blackie' London was implicated are to
stand trial by a judge and jury.
Seven
have been charged with killing Police Corporal
Richard Faikall in a robbery attack on the Anna
Regina branch of the Guyana National Cooperative
Bank in November 1997. The other faces trial only
on the robbery charge.
Faikall
was shot dead when he tried to foil the daylight
robbery and the gang fled with cash from the bank
and jewellery and other items they stole from
customers and employees.
London,
who was shot dead in a joint Police-Army operation
last month was linked to the robbery, Police said.
The
preliminary inquiry into the murder and robbery
charges ended earlier this month before Magistrate
Cecil Sullivan at the Anna Regina Magistrate's
court.
To
stand trial at the May-June assizes in Essequibo
are Steve Ceasar, 34, of Pomeroon River; Toolsie
Persaud, 65, of Chance, Mahaicony Creek; Patrick
Gunraj, 40, of Gordon Table, Mahaicony; Maurice
Texeira, 47, of Middle Road, La Penitence,
Georgetown; Maniram Ramdular, 42, of Tuschen, East
Bank Essequibo; Rabindranauth Singh, 33, of
Patentia, West Bank Demerara and Nazim Mohamed,
36, of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo.
Godfrey
Smith, 45, of Adventure, Essequibo Coast, was
discharged on the charge of murder but will have
to stand trial for robbery under arms
Thursday,
March 9, 2000