Kidnapping case to start on January 16

January 16, 2014 is the date when a 23-year-old Computer Technician will return to court to start the preliminary investigations into charges of robbery with violence and kidnapping.

According to police, Leroy Aaron Andrew of San Souci, St. George, was charged with the offences following a highly strategic response carried out during the early hours of December 24 when police investigations concluded that a ransom was being demanded to release a businessman who was taken hostage.

Andrew’s swift apprehension was enabled after a businessman within St. George received a call from another well-known business associate after midnight, requesting ten thousand dollars with certain instructions as to where and how to drop off the money.

“After his colleague received the call, the businessman became suspicious and called the police,” said a top law enforcement official, who explained that immediate investigation revealed that the businessman
requesting the money was a hostage held at gunpoint.

“As a result, a controlled response was mounted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the Rapid Response Unit, where the suspect vehicle was intercepted on Observatory Road and immobilised. Though there were discharges of firearms, no one was injured in this high profile interception. The businessman was rescued without physical injury,” said a statement from the Royal Grenada Police Force.

Andrew made his first ap-pearance in court on Friday, December 27. The maximum penalty for kidnapping is 10 years, while the maximum for robbery with violence is 15. (LS)