One of the four men charged in connection with the disappearance of firearms and ammunition from the Georgetown Police Station has been granted bail, while the three others have been remanded in custody.
At the arraignment today (Monday), at the Serious Offences Court, prosecutor Sergeant of Police Renrick Cato did not object to bail for Myron Samuel, 28, self-employed, of Layou, who pleaded not guilty to the three charges brought against him.
Samuel, a former national footballer, is accused of purchasing a pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition allegedly stolen from the police station, as well as possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence.
Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne set his bail at EC$20,000, with one surety, and ordered Samuel to report to the Layou Police Station on Mondays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
He was further ordered to surrender his travel documents and to seek the permission of the court to leave St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
The chief magistrate also ordered the posting of stop notices at ports of entry and exit.
Samuel was able to secure a surety and was greeted by a number of people outside the courtroom, where he walked into the embrace of a woman.
Meanwhile, Zackrie Latham, 25, a former police constable of New Grounds; Avi King, 26, a labourer, of Diamonds; and Meshach Dublin, aka 26, “Shane” and “3D”, an unemployed Diamonds resident, have been remanded into custody until July 1.
The chief magistrate upheld a submission by Cato, objecting for bail for the trio.
Cato argued that the men could interfere with police investigations if granted bail at this time.
Connell, who is also representing Dublin and Latham, argued strenuously for bail for Latham.
The chief magistrate, however, ordered that the men be remanded in custody until July 1.
Dublin pleaded guilty to all the charges brought against him, King pleaded guilty to all but one, and Latham pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against him.
The charges brought in the case are as follows:
Zackrie Latham
He pleaded not guilty to charges that:
between Jan. 31 and April 1, 2021, at Georgetown, he entered the armoury of the Georgetown Police Station as a trespasser and stole one box containing 50 rounds of .40mm ammunition, valued at EC$250, the property of the Government of SVG;
between Jan. 31 and June 17, 2021, at Georgetown, being employed in the government service as a member of the Royal SVG Police Force and being charged with the performance of duties by virtue of his employment, corruptly received property for himself on account of an action done by you in discharge of the duties of his office;
between Jan. 31 and April, 1, 2021, at Georgetown, entered the armoury of the Georgetown Police Station as a trespasser and stole three boxes containing 250 rounds of .40mm ammunition, the property of the Government of SVG.
Latham, King, and Dublin
Latham entered not guilty pleas while his co-accused, Avi King and Meshach Dublin pleaded guilty on joint charges that:
between June 2 and 18, 2021, at Diamonds, they had in their possession criminal property, to wit, EC$3,200 in cash, which they knew or suspected in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents the proceed of criminal conduct;
on June 17, at Diamonds, they had in their possession 305 rounds of ammunition without a licence issued under the Firearms Act;
between June 2 and 17, 2021, at Sion Hill, not being a licenced firearm dealer, sold one Glock 22 pistol, serial number LNL 155 to one “Pet”, of Sion Hill;
between June 2 and 17, 2021, at Sion Hill, not being a licensed firearm dealer, sold one magazine with 15 rounds of .40mm ammunition to one “Pet”, of Sion Hill;
on June 17, 2021, at Kingstown, not being a licensed firearm dealer, sold one Glock 22 pistol, serial number LNL 144 to Myron Samuel, of Layou;
on June 17, 2021, at Kingstown, not being a licensed firearm dealer, sold one magazine with 15 rounds of .40mm ammunition to Myron Samuel, of Layou;
King and Latham
King pleaded guilty and Latham pleaded not guilty to charges that:
between June 1 and 4, 2021, at Georgetown, they had in their possession, one M-4 rifle, serial number W877775, a prohibited weapon, without the authorisation of the minister;
between June 1 and 18, 2021, at Georgetown, they had in their possession one Glock pistol, serial number LNL151, without a licence issued under the Firearms Act;
between June 1 and 28, 2021, at Georgetown, they had in their possession, one Glock pistol, serial number LNL144, without a licence issued under the Firearms Act;
King and Latham both pleaded not guilty to a charge that between June 1 and June 18, 2021, at Georgetown, they had in their possession one Glock 22 pistol, serial number LNL155, without a licence issued under the Firearms Act;
Dublin
Dublin pleaded guilty to charges that:
on June 17, 2021, at Diamond, he had in his possession one M-4 rifle, serial number W877775, a prohibited weapon without the authorisation of the minister;
between June 2 and 17, 2021, at Sion Hill, he had in his possession one Glock 22 pistol, serial number LNL155, without a licence issued under the Firearms Act;
on June 17, 2021, at Kingstown, he had in his possession one Glock 22 pistol, serial number LNL 144 without a licence issued under the Firearms Act;
King
King pleaded guilty to a charge:
That between June 1 and 14, 2021, at Georgetown, he entered the Georgetown Police Station as a trespasser to commit an offence, to wit, theft.
Myron Samuel pleaded not guilty to charges that:
on June 17, 2021, at Layou, knowing or believing one Glock .22 pistol, serial number LNL 144 and 15 rounds of .40mm ammunition to be stolen goods, did dishonestly receive same for his benefit;
on June 17, 2021, at Layou, he had in his possession one Glock .22 pistol, serial number LNL 144, without a licence issued under the Firearms Act;
on June 17, 2021, at Layou, he had in his possession 15 rounds of .40mm ammunition without a licence issued under the Firearms Act
SVG police from the top down should all be fired and replaced with known criminals. The police were respected at one time now they are rotten and despised. An ex SVG police.
I did not see any senior officer charged with stupidity in the execution of his duties. An armoury is a cupboard! What nonescense is this? What was the rationale…were they relyjng on the ” goodness and trustworthiness of the officers and I guess no civilians were allowed in the station.
Only in St. Vincent!
In cases like these when there are multiple defendants and some plee guilty while others plee not guilty the Prosecutor tends to be satisfied with the guilty plees and sometime withdraw the charge/s against the ones who plee not guilty,i hope this would not be the case in this matter, an example need to be set for those other rogue police officers who has bad intentions and those on the outside who believe that they can enguaged in things like this and get an easy time .I expect the Prosecutor to accept the guilty plees and proceed against that dishonest Police constable. If King and Latham was charge jointly for entering the police station and King plee guilty why an additional charge of conspiracy was’nt amonst the charges, the whole book need to be thrown at Latham because he is alledged to be the master mine behind this thing and that the prosecutor would ask for the sentencing to be sent to the High Court.
Compare these three men with three people with ULP regime and dynasty connections. These men get the treatment they deserve the other three have a protection from the police, the DPP, the Judiciary. Worst of all they have political protection that extends to absolute protection from prosecution.
The forest is getting smaller, the axe is cutting it down, the trees keep voting for the axe because the handle is made of wood, its called solidarity, the trees do not realise the axe is actually destroying them, the axe does not represent them.
ASK RALPH