BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ONE of the two suspects, who was apprehended last Friday and was assisting police with their investigation into the daring daylight robbery at Ram’s Wholesale Department, was charged with Robbery.
The man, whose name was given as Peter Oke, was born in Nigeria but is a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis by descent.
According to Police Press and Public Relations Officer Inspector Lyndon David, Oke was charged with the offence on Saturday (May 30).
Information that reached this publication had stated that Oke was recognised by a member of the public from the footage provided by management of Ram’s Group of Companies, which had gone viral.
He was seen on Friday (May 29) in the Independence Square and the public-spirited citizen immediately informed the Basseterre Police Station, from where members of the Criminal Investigation Department swooped down on the alleged suspect and apprehended him.
At about 3:50 p.m. on the previous Friday, two armed bandits had entered the Ram’s Bird Rock premises pretending to be members of the Christian-based religious movement, Jehovah Witness.
One of them, who was position on the verandah handing out religious flyers to customers, attacked the business establishment’s Manager, robbed him of an undisclosed sum of money and inflicted a wound to his head during the process.
Following the daring robbery, both men had made good their escape but the entire incident was caught on camera – CCTV.
Since then, management of the business establishment had offered an ES$10 000 reward for information leading to their arrest and conviction.
When contacted this afternoon (June 1), management was informed that the suspect was charged and was subsequently asked about the EC$10 000 reward.
“Ram’s has conscientiously and efficiently been serving the citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis for over 80 years. We have an excellent and highly commendable reputation and have always been known to live up to our commitments, obligations and promises,” a senior management member told SKNVibes.
Management was also high in praise of the public-spirited citizen and commended the individual for being “so observant”, adding that the individual’s action should be emulated by all in the fight against crime, thus making the Federation a safer place to live as well as visit.
Inspector David has promised that a press release would be disseminated later today along with the photograph of Peter Oke.