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Alleged Ranko Gang member to know today if she’ll get bail

Published:Friday | June 9, 2023 | 1:25 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter

The lone female defendant who is alleged to be a member of the Clarendon-based Ranko Gang, reportedly headed by a police constable, is to know today whether she will be admitted to bail.

Jassett Brown is among 11 individuals, including four police officers, charged with being part of a criminal organisation.

Attorneys-at-law for the respective defendants, excluding the alleged gang leader, Constable Tafari Silvera, all made their submissions for bail on Wednesday before Justice Leighton Pusey in the Home Circuit Court.

The press was, however, excluded from the hearing on the basis that the allegations that would be outlined contained hearsay, which, if reported, may prejudice the defence’s case.

The ruling was scheduled for yesterday but was pushed to today for the female and to June 21 and 22 for the others.

The female is said to have a medical condition.

Other members of the gang are Constables Daneilio Barnes, Rajay Morrison, and Tehneil Francis and the civilians are Tevin Henriques, David Henry, Ovilgo McKenzie, and Nicholas Simpson, Cornel Clarke, and Mario Sukoo.

The defendants were all remanded.

Silvera was first arrested in June 2021 following allegations that he had hired two hitmen to murder a police informant from Clarendon.

Silvera was subsequently charged in that matter with two civilians, Christopher Robinson and Mark Bennett. They are all facing conspiracy to murder charge in a separate case.

The others were arrested last March after they were fingered as alleged members of the 27-member gang.

It was initially reported that eight policemen were involved in the gang and that one fled the island when Silvera was arrested last.

However, one of the lawmen was released after two complainants, who had filed reports that he had robbed them, refused to cooperate with prosecutors.

The Ranko Gang, which has been linked to 17 incidents, is alleged to have been involved in shootings, burglary, robbery with aggravation, illegal possession of firearm, shopbreaking, conspiracy to murder, and abduction.

The offences were allegedly carried out in Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, St Catherine, St Mary, Trelawny, Kingston, St Andrew, and St James between 2019 and 2021.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com