3 men appear in court on rape, sexual assault charges

Three men yesterday made appearances at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on separate rape and sexual assault charges.

Lakeram Persaud, 50, of Bartica, Essequibo, was remanded to prison after he was read a charge which alleged that he raped a 12-year-old girl. The charge, which was read by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, stated that he engaged in sexual penetration of a child under 16 years old earlier this year in Bartica.

The unrepresented man was remanded to prison and the matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for May 11.

Meanwhile, 37-year-old Deo Chand was fined $150,000 on a sexual assault charge. While the details of the charge were not revealed, it was explained that the defendant will serve a default two-year jail term if he failed to pay the fine. He was also placed on 12 months’ probation.

And finally, Leonard Rodrigues was placed on $200,000 bail after he appeared before Chief Magistrate McLennan charged with the rape of a minor.

The charge against him read that between December 28 and December 30, 2015 at Heaven Hill, Water Front, Port Kaituma, he raped a girl under the age of 16. The matter was transferred to the Matthews Ridge Magistrate’s Court for May 14.