$350,000 bail for men charged with falsely imprisoning V'zuelan women

THE three men charged with falsely imprisoning four Venezuelan women and raping two of them at a house in Diego Martin, painted to look like a police station, have each been granted $350,000 bail by a Port of Spain magistrate.

The three – Virgil Pompey of 37 Wilson Road, Four Roads; Matthew John, of 56 Bournes Road, St James; and Yohan Norgiff, of 123 Union Road, off Four Roads – reappeared before magistrate Rehanna Hosein in the Four B court, on charges of falsely imprisoning four Venezuelan women between Thursday and Friday two weeks ago, and raping two of them.

When they appeared in court last Thursday, they were denied bail since the police were unable to provide the men’s criminal record tracing.

They returned to court yesterday and Pompey and Norgiff had nothing on record pending against them, while John had a number of charges recorded against him on traffic-related, and cocaine trafficking matters and using obscene language, but his lawyer, Alexia Romero, said a number had either been dismissed or he had been convicted and fined for them.

Police prosecutor Insp Callister Charles had no objection to any of them being granted bail, but asked the magistrate to impose conditions for them to report to the police station nearest to where they live.

Each man was granted $350,000 bail, with surety, to be approved by a clerk of the peace III and they were ordered to stay away from and have no communication with the victims.

They were also granted a cash alternative of $100,000 with a stipulation that the money should have been held in bank accounts for the past six months.

Pompey and Norgiff will also report to the Four Roads police station on Mondays and Fridays and John to the St James police station.

When the matter was called last week, Norgiff’s attorney Keith Scotland claimed it was his client’s now-deceased grandmother who, years ago, painted the house at 123 Union Road in the blue of the morning glory flower and chose to put the Star of David design on the gates.

“And, barring an order from God, no one would get her to remove the sign,” Scotland told the magistrate.

Pompey and John were arrested two Fridays ago after police went to the house and rescued four women.

The house was painted in what appeared to be police blue and white colours and had three Star of David police insignia signs on the front gates.

It is alleged missing-persons reports were filed at the St James police station after two of the women, who went in search of apartments to rent, did not return to where they were staying.

The men will return to court on May 21.