One charged in Patentia robbery
Edward Gudgea, a 39-yearold painter of Lot 192 Back Street Grove, East Bank Demerara, was charged yesterday for Robbery under Arms committed on Gaytri Boodramlall.
Gudgea appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court where the charge was read to him. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of $200,000. The matter was transferred to the Wales Magistrates Court. The charges brought against Gudgea stemmed from five bandits posing as Custom Officers, complete with handcuffs, radios and guns, robbed the Deo & Sons Wholesale Depot at Wales, West Bank Demerara, on June 1. Gayatri Boodramlall and Deonarine Boodramlall, the proprietors of the business located at 278 Patentia, WBD, were robbed in excess of $900,000. When individuals dressed like Custom Officers, came to their premises just after 13:00 hours and demanded to see the boss, claiming that they wanted to search the bond to see if all the taxes were paid for the items stored there. Mrs. Boodramlall recalled that she pulled in the grill to the business, like she does every day at that time. Since at the time, the rate of business was slow and allowed her to proceed to prepare lunch for her husband and kids. Only two of the four kids where home at the time. Mrs. Boodramlall recalled, hearing sounds coming from the front like someone was trying to open the grill that she had just closed. She ventured out to see what was the raucous about, only to find men dressed in white shirt jac, dark blue pants and wearing shine black shoes, making attempts to enter the business, Mrs. Boodramlall at first glance took the individuals for Customs Officers, since from time to time Customs would come and check their business. The men got the gate open and entered, then asked for the boss. Mrs. Boodramlall told them to wait and went to call her husband.
On her return, the men told her and her husband that they wanted to see the bond. Mrs. Boodramlall led two of the so-called Custom Officers to the bond, while three of them waited at the front of the shop. Her husband, at this time, was getting up his documents, to show the men that he had paid his taxes up to date. The men then asked to see who else was in the house. Mrs. Boodramlall told them that two of her children were upstairs, to which the men requested to go upstairs and see them. This came as no surprise to the Boodramlalls. Whenever Customs came on previous occasions, they asked to see the upstairs and whoever else was home. It was then the Boodramlalls would realize that they were being robbed. When they reached upstairs, the bandits had them all together. They took out gloves and put them on, and drew their guns. They told the family to lie on the floor. The Boodramlalls who were robbed twice before, were very calm. This caused one of the bandits to take out the magazine from his gun and show them and tell them, “We ain’t joking; we gonna kill you if we don’t get some money.” The Boodramlalls handed over $500,000 in cash, after which the bandits took all the cell phones in the house. (Kaieteurnews)