The 20-year-old taxi driver who was implicated in the murder of the Guyana Goldfields Inc manager was on Tuesday afternoon arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Leron Daly.
Anthony Ragnauth, who said he is a mechanic, of Middle Road, East La Penitence was not allowed to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on May 21, 2018, at Thomas Street, he murdered Canadian Citizen, Neil Whyte.
Attorney for the accused, Latchmie Rahamat told the Court that her client was badly beaten by Police ranks whom she alleged used a baton to squeeze his testicles. She said further that Ragnauth has not received any medical attention.
The Magistrate granted a request for the defendant to receive medical attention.
Bail application however, was rejected and the accused was remanded to prison until June 18, 2018.
Prior to his court appearance, police reported that Ragnauth had confessed to the heinous crime and that the man also handed over the murder weapon to investigators as well as the victim’s valuables that were stolen from his Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown apartment.
“The second suspect in custody has admitted committing the crime. He took investigators to a location at Fifth Street, Alberttown where he handed over several items belonging to the victim as well as a knife suspected to be the murder weapon” police said.
INews had reported that on the evening in question, between 22:22h and 23:45h, Whyte was murdered in his apartment complex.
The victim was discovered naked, lying in a pool of his own blood, on his bed, with his hands bound in front of him and his body was covered in stab wounds. The discovery was made by a security guard attached to the building.
Moreover, Whyte’s laptop, cash, gold and other personal valuables were reported missing.
Investigators were informed by the security guard that prior to his death, on the same evening, Whyte picked up and escorted a colleague into the apartment.
The colleague was identified as a former staff of the Guyana Gold Field Inc.
According to the guard, after some time had elapsed, and as the colleague was exiting the building, he [colleague] told him [security] that he was going to collect something on the road. At that time, the man had a haversack on his back.
The colleague, then reportedly walked to the junction of Thomas and Middle Street, where he joined a car that drove away.
It was then that the guard, knowing that it is the protocol of the company that the visitor of a guest be checked out of the building by the guest, went up to the victim’s room and saw him lying lifeless.
The police were immediately contacted and the security guard provided his statement before he reportedly had a heart attack. He is said to be recovering.
The colleague was then apprehended at his home for questioning. Shortly after, the taxi driver was also taken into custody.
Meanwhile, a post mortem examination conducted on Whyte’s body confirmed that he died as a result of multiple stab wounds.
