No Bail For

A POLICEMAN from the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) was yesterday denied bail after he appeared in the Couva Magistrates’ Court charged with the kidnapping of Princes Town businessman Ramesh Mahabir.

Dressed in a green jersey and cream pants, PC Dave Belfon, 44, of Maracas Road, St Joseph, appeared before senior Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar.

When Belfon was brought into the courtroom by police yesterday, he was not placed in the holding bay with the other prisoners.

Instead, he sat on a front bench in the courtroom which is usually used by members of the public.

Belfon’s hands were handcuffed in front of him and two plainclothes policemen sat next to him.

When the matter was called, Belfon’s handcuffs were removed. He remained silent when the magistrate read the charge to him — that on Friday April 7, 2006, at Southern Main Road, McBean, Couva, he unlawfully took and carried away Mahabir against his will.

The accused was not called on to plead as the charge was laid indictably by Sgt Danny Ramlogan.

The charge stemmed from an incident last Friday in which Mahabir, a foreign-used car dealer, was abducted from his Couva businessplace. Mahabir was rescued by police on Monday in some bushes at Maracas/St Joseph.

Court prosecutor, Sgt Sharon Corbett, objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence and that a trace was required to determine if Belfon had previous convictions and pending matters.

Belfon’s attorney, Keith Beckles, admitted that the accused policeman is on bail for two previous charges of assault and disorderly behaviour, which stemmed from an incident with another policeman last year.

Beckles added the accused policeman had 22 years service but was suspended last year because of the assault incident. He added that his client has no previous convictions. The attorney told the magistrate that the police had enough time to trace Belfon since he was in custody since Saturday.

However, Ayres-Caesar upheld the prosecution’s objection and remanded Belfon into custody.

Beckles also complained that he was not allowed to see his client at the Couva Police Station on Tuesday night.

He said the police also refused to permit Belfon to change his garments for his court appearance.

Ayers-Caesar adjourned the matter to April 19.