By Khrystal Rawlins

Bail was granted by an Arima magistrate yesterday to two police officers charged with the kidnapping of Venezuelan Michael Arvelo, who was snatched from the car park at Trincity Mall on April 29. However, PCs Levelle Long and Kenneth Le Blanc remain in custody as no one posted bail which had been granted by Magistrate Deborah Quintyne in the sum of $100,000 each. The bail had to be approved by a Clerk of the Peace, following bail applications by attorney Sean Cazabon on Monday.

The arrested police constables were also ordered to surrender their passports forthwith to the police. The policemen, who were charged last week for the kidnapping of 28-year-old Arvelo are jointly charged with two other men for the offence. Their co-accused, Roger Bridgeman was granted bail in the sum of $120,000 while Roger Lindsay was denied bail by the magistrate and remanded into custody. According to Quintyne, Lindsay was denied bail due to pending ammunition related matters he had before the courts. The policemen and their cohorts were granted bail despite the fact that tracings for the accused men were not available for yesterday’s court proceedings.

According to the police prosecutor, prints were not available due to a discrepancy at the fingerprinting office in Port-of-Spain. Attorney Ian Brooks, who appeared for three of the accused persons, argued that the alleged kidnappers were arrested since May 4, therefore giving the arresting officers sufficient time to have the accused persons traced. A fifth person, Michael Charles, who is charged with falsely imprisoning Arvelo during the period April 29 and May 3, was granted bail in the sum of $80,000 to be approved by a Clerk of the Peace. The Venezuelan was reportedly kept at a house in Bon Air Gardens, before escaping from his abductors on May 3. The matter was adjourned to May 19.

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