A Number 143 Corentyne, Berbice businessman who is a suspect in the recent deadly pirate attack in Suriname waters, was earlier today charged and remanded to prison for allegedly robbing fishing vessels in 2015 and 2016.
Thirty-nine year old Nakool Manohar, a father of three was indicted on two counts of robbery under-arms to which he was not allowed to plead. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Particulars of the first charge alleged that between April 1, 2015 and April 30, 2015, in the territorial waters of Guyana in the Corentyne Magisterial District, while in the company of others and armed with guns and cutlasses, he robbed fishing vessel ‘Sir Navin’ of a 248 horsepower engine valued at $2.8M. It is the property of Daneshwar Reddy called Smallie.
It was also alleged that between August 1, 2016 and August 30, 2016, in the territorial waters of Guyana in the Corentyne Magisterial District, while in the company of others and armed with guns and cutlasses, he robbed fishing Vickesh Balkissoon of a fishing vessel valued at $2.3M.
Nakool will make his next court appearance on May 30, 2018 when he will appear in the Springlands Magistrate’s Court. Nakool’s lawyer, Joel Edmond made an unsuccessful petition for bail. Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield objected to bail being granted to Nakool, citing that he is being investigated in relation to the recent pirate attack which occurred near the Suriname border. The Prosecutor’s objections were upheld by the Chief Magistrate and the defendant was remanded to prison.
The suspect was arrested on May 2, and was kept in police custody until his arraignment before a Magistrate this afternoon.
The pirate attack occurred on the night of April, 27, 2018 between the Suriname and French Guiana borders. It resulted in some 15 Guyanese going missing. Thus far, the decomposed bodies of some of these fishermen have been recovered.
According to reports out of Suriname, the pirate attack is said to be a revenge crime for the murder of Nakool’s brother, Somnauth Manohar who was gunned down in Suriname on Good Friday.
Both Nakool and his brother owned several fishing boats.
At the time of this publication, ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters were on their way to Berbice to continue their probe.
