Four men remanded over alleged $3.5M robbery of Corentyne family

Four men were remanded to prison on Tuesday in connection with an alleged robbery that reportedly left a Corentyne family without millions of dollars in cash and valuables. The accused are 21-year-old construction worker Steve Tsoi, called “Timmy,” of Alness Village; 21-year-old labourer Mohan Panchoo, called “Leon,” also of Alness Village; 24-year-old Derwin Hawker of Nurney Village; and 23-year-old Kristopher Mendonca, called “Khris,” of Alness Village. The men appeared before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy at the Albion Magistrate’s Court, where they were jointly charged with robbery unarmed. The court heard that on July 14, 2024, the four accused allegedly robbed businessman Narinedutt, called “Passy,” 51, of $3.5 million in cash. It is further alleged that Jayadevi Ramnarine, 30, a 10-day worker, was robbed of a gold ring valued at $112,000, while 31-year-old Monica Balgobind was allegedly robbed of gold jewellery valued at $362,500. During Monday’s proceedings, Police Prosecutor Corporal Leon Jones objected to bail, citing the seriousness and prevalence of the alleged offence and claiming that dangerous weapons were used during the incident. Mendonca was unrepresented in court, while Tsoi, Panchoo and Hawker were represented by Attorney-at-law Akim Lampkin, who made an application for bail on their behalf. After hearing arguments from the prosecution and defence, Magistrate Hardy denied bail and ordered all four accused to be remanded to prison. The matter will return to court on August 18, 2026, for a report.