Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterTHE CASE of a Surinamese national who claimed he was robbed of more than $1.2 million in Kingston on Wednesday, but was later arrested and charged with creating public mischief, took another twist yesterday when he appeared in the Corporate Area Criminal Court.
Ptolony Reid, 23, who lives in the Trinidad and Tobago capital, Port-of-Spain, pleaded not guilty to the charge. He is scheduled to return to court on November 19.
ROBBED AT THE DOOR
Mr. Reid had reported to the police that he was robbed outside the doors of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after he and a female companion had completed a transaction at a nearby bank in New Kingston. The JUTA taxi they were travellling in dropped them off at the hotel. It was while at the front door of the hotel that Mr. Reid claimed he was robbed.
He said that a man sporting a Rastafarian hairstyle, grabbed the bag with the money and escaped on a waiting motor bike.
The police, following the questioning of Mr. Reid, however, did not find his story credible and arrested and charged him with public mischief.
He was offered station bail in the sum of $60,000. In the meantime, the Police High Command has instructed Detective Deputy Superintendent Cornwall 'Bigga' Ford to oversee the investigation.
"Yes, I have been asked to supervise the investigation. I am now looking at the reports," said DSP Ford, when contacted yesterday.
Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday, attorney-at-law Dennis Daley, who is representing Mr. Reid, said his client was robbed. According to Mr. Daley, preliminary investigations by the police revealed that his client had made a transaction of more than a million dollars at the bank, shortly before he was robbed.
"The surveillance camera in the vicinity of the hotel should help the police with their investigation," said Mr. Daley.
Reports are that the 23-year-old businessman, who arrived in the island on Wednesday, came in with US$18,000, but had only declared US$10,000 to the authorities at the airport.
A release by the Constabulary Communication Network yesterday said Mr. Reid found himself on the wrong side of the law when it turned out that he had lied to the police.
