Cops kill man said involved in $15-m robbery

ALTON Jones, 22, whom the police said was a suspect in last month’s multi-million dollar robbery at the DB&G branch in Ocho Rios, was killed by the police on Wednesday in an alleged shoot-out in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

Jones, otherwise called ‘Fatman’ of St John’s Road in Spanish Town, was said to be a member of the notorious One Order gang which operates in Spanish Town. Police said he and four other men held up and robbed the bank of approximately $15 million on May 13.

According to the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), Jones was shot dead after pointing a gun at members of a police team who were on an operation in Ensom City, also in Spanish Town.

The police said a Hi-Point pistol, serial number P203097, loaded with four rounds, was taken from the dead man’s body.

On May 13, gunmen posing as customers entered the DB&G office in Ocho Rios and relieved the security guard of his gun before forcing their way into the manager’s office, gun-butted him and forced him at gunpoint to open the safe which contained millions of dollars in local and foreign currencies.

The robbers then packed the cash into bags before driving away in a Toyota Townace minibus.

Minister says Cuban eye programme will continue

HEALTH Minister Horace Dalley says the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care Programme will not be suspended.

The minister, in reference to concerns by local doctors about complications suffered by some patients, said he would be leading a high-level delegation to visit the facilities in Cuba in the coming weeks. The delegation, he said, will include ophthalmologists from the public and private sectors.

In the meantime, the minister also requested that a full investigation be undertaken to ascertain whether the occurrence of complications reported is within international norms.

Two charged with harbouring accused robber get bail

TWO of the four persons charged with harbouring Copeland Samuels, one of the security guards accused of robbing a Guardsman armoured truck of $120 million last year, were granted bail when the four appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court Thursday.

Karen Stamp of 93 Canal Drive, Block 120, Garveymeade, Portmore, St Catherine, and Karen Artwell of 45 Waltham Park Road, Kingston 11 were both granted $200,000 bail by Resident Magistrate Georgianna Fraser. Both were also ordered to surrender their travel documents and to report to the nearest police stations between the hours of 6:00 am and 6:00 pm on Mondays and Fridays. A stop order has also been put into effect at all the country’s ports of entry for both women.

The other two persons – Dwight Bryan and Hartley Henry – who were also charged with the offence were, however, remanded in custody.