A 25-year-old resident of Agricola, Greater Georgetown, who is awaiting trial at the High Court for attempted murder, was on Wednesday placed on $150,000 bail after being slapped with a robbery under arms charge.
Curtis Vasconcellos appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Providence Magistrates’ Courts and pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that on February 2, at Houston Public Road, Georgetown, while armed with a gun, he robbed Sew Romaman of a cellphone valued at $110,000 and cash in the sum of $25,000.
The Police Prosecutor did not object to the robbery accused being placed on bail, and
Magistrate Latchman ordered Vasconcellos to report to the Ruimveldt Police Station every Friday until the hearing and determination of his trial.
He will make another court appearance on February 28.
The Police prosecutor told the court that Romaman was delivering ice to a customer on February 2, and while in the process of doing so, he exited his car and was answering a phone call when Vasconcellos approached and shot him to the knee before relieving him of his money and cell phone.
After receiving information about the robbery, Police conducted a raid in Agricola and Vasconcellos was arrested.
Defence lawyer Dexter Todd told Magistrate Latchman that his client was not arrested in relation to the robbery.
During a bail application, the lawyer said his client is not a flight risk. According to Todd, his client is jointly charged with another man for attempted murder.
In September 2016, Vasconcellos and Orwyn Peters were committed to stand trial at the High Court in Demerara for attempted murder committed on Neezam Khan. The charge against the duo states that on June 6, 2015, at Grove, East Bank Demerara, with intent to commit murder, they discharged a loaded firearm at Khan with intent to commit murder. They were released on bail pending trial.
According to reports, Khan, a businessman, and several of his colleagues were outside a snackette which he owned when four men, including Vasconcellos and Peters, rode up beside them on motorcycles. Media reports are that one of the men held Khan at gunpoint and relieved him of jewellery, cash, and other items before shooting him to the left arm.
But before the bandits could have escaped, Khan opened fire on them, killing their accomplice Michael Grant of Agricola. It was reported that Vasconcellos was injured during the shootout, and still made attempts to get away, but was later found lying a short distance from the scene.
