A public management student from the University of Guyana was yesterday arraigned on a charge of armed robbery. The accused, 17-year-old Sean Rodrigues, is accused of a multi-million-dollar robbery which occurred on March 30 last, at Electronics City, Sheriff Street, Subryanville, Georgetown.Remanded: Sean RodriguesPolice reports revealed that the defendant armed himself with a gun and went into the store where he made off with 35 expensive cellular phones, worth $10,651,NCAA Hockey Jerseys,000.Rodrigues pleaded not guilty to the charge while his Attorney Glenn Hanoman made an application for bail.The lawyer told the court that the teenager comes from a good family with whom he has lived all his life adding that the teen’s relatives would ensure that he returns for his trial to clear his name of the allegation.Hanoman explained that police basically charged the teenager after a zipped bag, containing the cellular phones, was found in a car that he owns, but that he has since offered the police a reasonable explanation.Prosecutor Vishnu Hunte opposed the application and stated that his objection is based on the penalty attached to the crime as well as the quantum mentioned in the charge and the weapon which was used.“The defendant was positively identified by both victims at an ID parade,” Hunte noted.Magistrate Judy Latchman refused bail, and the accused will make his next court appearance on April 17.During the multi-million-dollar heist which was carried out at around 15:30 hours on March 30, an armed gunman and two accomplices held up employees, Marty Kanhai and Tiffany Peroune, and grabbed dozens of high-end cellular phone from the store.Reports indicated that the men came in posing as customers. One of them was carrying a bag. The one with the bag then placed it on the counter pulled out a gun and ordered Kanhai to ‘start packing the bag’.The other then pulled out a knife and held Peroune while ordering her to assist her colleague in emptying the glass case.There were also reports that the men who perpetrated the robbery were seen in the store prior to the robbery making enquiries about items in the store.Within minutes the men had the bag filled with popular brands including HTC, iPhone, BlackBerry and Samsung Galaxy, among others.Once the men were satisfied that they had enough they fled the store in a waiting car, with licence plates PPP 4544, which was parked close by.
