Special Reserve Police Constable Sean Joseph yesterday was granted $250,000 bail when he reappeared before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John on two counts of robbery with violence.
However, Joseph will still spend the weekend in jail as a third charge for possession of ammunition will be heard at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Joseph, of Rapsey Street, Curepe, stood in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court for the second consecutive day after being charged under Section 24(1) (b) of the Larceny Act.
It was alleged that on November 11 at Johnson Avenue, Soledad Road West, Claxton Bay, Joseph was armed with a gun when he assaulted and robbed businessman Wei Hui Zhu of $406,000 cash, an Apple iPhone 7, valued at $7,000, and one FX Revolution air rifle. valued at $20,000.
He was also accused of assaulting and robbing Jin Fu Zhu of an Apple iPhone 6, valued at $6,000. The third charge alleged he was found in possession of 22 rounds of .380 ammunition at the San Juan Police Sub-Station later that day. Joseph, who was stationed at the San Juan Police Sub-Station, was not the holder of a Firearm User Licence.
Because the ammunition possession offence occurred in San Juan, Forde-John transferred the matter to the Port-of-Spain court.
When Joseph appeared in court on Wednesday, prosecutor Cleyon Seedan requested that he be remanded into custody until they verified his claim that he had no passport.
Yesterday, Seedan said checks with the Immigration Division Joseph’s passport expired in 1995. Seedan still requested that he be relieved of the passport. The prosecution again demanded that Joseph refrain from contacting his victims.