Bail for private, civilian charged with missing Galil rifle

An army private and a 30-year-old civilian charged in connection with the missing Galil rifle from the regiment were granted a total of $350,000 bail when they returned to court on Wednesday.

Private Renaldo Wanza, 22, of Belmont, was granted $250,000 bail while Brandon Moonsammy, 30, of Macoya Settlement, Tunapuna, was granted $150,000 bail by Port of Spain Magistrate Kerri Honore-Narine. Both bail sums are with sureties.

Wanza was ordered to report to the Belmont police station three times a week while Moonsammy has to report to the Tunapuna station every Friday for the duration of the matter.

They will return to court on July 12. They were represented by attorneys Arden Williams and Marika Trim.

At their first court appearance on Monday, bail for the two was deferred by magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor because the police, at the time, did not have background tracing for the two so they were remanded into custody until their appearance on Wednesday.

Wanza was charged with two counts of misbehaviour in public office, one count of larceny of the Galil rifle, another count of transfer of the gun, and possession of a prohibited weapon and ammunition.

Moonsammy, meanwhile, was jointly charged with Wanza for misbehaviour relating to the transfer of a firearm and for allegedly receiving a Galil rifle knowing it to be stolen.

Both men were charged on June 11 for the missing assault rifle and one magazine which were reported missing from the Pioneer Department of the Teteron Army Barracks, Chaguaramas, on June 3.

The missing Galil was retrieved after an active investigation on June 9 in the vicinity of Bellerand Recreational Park in a black garbage bag to the side of a concrete structure, police said in a release.

The investigation was spearheaded by Senior Supt Henry, Insp Grant with the support of Sgt Jeanville, legal officer and lead investigator acting Cpl Sifontis of the Western Division.