‘Robo Cop’ gets $100,000 bail

DESPITE strenuous objections by a State attorney, well-known Chaguanas resident Selwyn “Robo Cop” Alexis, who is charged with kidnapping a San Fernando businessman, was on Thursday granted $100,000 bail by a Port-of-Spain High Court judge. Alexis secured bail less than a week after the State’s main witness against him was murdered and his body later found wrapped in a bag in a Longdenville pond. Justice Herbert Volney granted Alexis bail in the sum of $100,000. Alexis is one of  two men charged with kidnapping used-car dealer Saran “Billy” Kissoondan of Palmyra Village, San Fernando. Justice Volney granted Alexis bail following an application made by his (Alexis’) attorney Keith Beckles in the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain. The State’s main witness in the case, Kevin Richards, was murdered shortly after he walked out of a “safe house.” Richards was killed and his body wrapped in a bag. The body was later found by a gardener in a pond off Depot Road, Longdenville.

Richards was initially charged with Kisoondan’s kidnapping, but was granted immunity from prosecution after turning State witness. Kissoondan was kidnapped from his businessplace at Palmyra Village on February 23. He was released a month later after a ransom was paid. Charged along with Alexis are Brian Cole and Rooplal Harricharan. Alexis’ first application for bail came up before Justice Volney in the San Fernando High Court in April. The State cited death threats to witnesses as the reason for its objection to bail being granted. The application then came up on three occasions before Justice Jai Narine and was postponed due to the failure of the State to produce affidavit evidence to support its contention of death threats to State witnesses. On August 15, the application again came up before Justice Volney and was again postponed for want of the death threat evidence. On Thursday, attorney Beckles submitted to Volney that Alexis was entitled to bail and the objection by the State was unsupported. State Attorney from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Nadia James argued against bail being granted. However, Justice Volney ruled that he would grant the bail.