‘Plantain’, Kitty businessman charged with receiving stolen guns
Stabroek News
August 22, 2002
Two men, one of whom was charged last Friday with the larceny of two Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rifles, were yesterday each released on $200,000 bail after pleading not guilty to two charges of receiving stolen property.
Ravendranauth Persaud and Mohamed Shahuruddin, called `Plantain,’ are charged jointly with receiving two stolen weapons — an AK-47 and an M70 rifle — and were released on bail by Magistrate Cecil Sullivan.
The two men were alleged to have received the AK-47 weapon some time between July 9 and August 9, and the M70 rifle some time between August 3 and August 9, at Liliendaal, where both incidents reportedly occurred.
Persaud, 31, of Dowding Street, Kitty, was reportedly arrested by members of the GDF last Friday and handed over to police in relation to the purchase of a stolen GDF weapon. Shahuruddin of 168 Albert Street, Corriverton, was in police custody since last Monday when he was arrested for the alleged theft of two GDF weapons — an AK-47 and an M70 rifle — each valued at $760,000. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment last Friday but was remanded to prison.
Appearing for both men, attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, maintained that they were innocent. Submitting an application for bail, Hughes said that there were no allegations that the weapons had been used in the furtherance of any crime.
Furthermore, he also drew attention to the fact that there were no indications that any weapons were recovered and queried the ability of the police to prove whether the weapons were stolen in the first instance. He said that there was an anomaly in the charge since Shahuruddin had been charged with larceny of the weapons and would have had to receive the weapons from himself.
He said also that the particulars of the charge did not indicate to whom the weapons belonged.
He cited the unlikelihood of his clients being granted an expeditious trial and the men’s determination to defend the matter as other considerations for them being granted bail for the bailable offences.
The magistrate, taking into consideration all the points, acceded to the attorney’s application. The men are to return to court to defend the matter on September 13 at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
Shahuruddin, meanwhile also appeared at Court Nine yesterday where he was granted $25,000 bail for the alleged theft of the GDF’s M70 rifle.
The matter is now also fixed for September 13.
Shahuruddin is also to appear at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court today, where his bail application will be considered in relation to the charge of theft of the GDF’s AK-47 weapon.