Police have charged a third man in connection with the brazen robbery of the Choc, Castries branch of 1st National Bank St Lucia Limited which occurred five months ago.
Forty-seven-year-old Palmerston Celestine was apprehended during a police operation at his residence which also resulted in him facing drug-related charges.
Joel Phulgence and Corneil St Louis were previously charged in connection with the August 28, 2004 robbery, which involved unauthorised access to the bank’s Automated Banking Machine (ABM).
According to a statement issued by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) on Tuesday, the investigation into the robbery continued even after the initial arrests, with police actively pursuing all leads.
On Wednesday, January 22, this year, RSLPF personnel executed a search warrant at the Sans Souci, Castries residence of Celestine, who was a person of interest in the robbery investigation. During the operation, officers recovered quantities of cannabis and cocaine, leading to Celestine being charged with two counts of possession of controlled drugs and two counts of possession with intent to supply.
“Whilst the investigations into these drug-related matters were being conducted, personnel from the Special Investigations Unit were actively pursuing leads regarding Palmerston’s involvement in the robbery on 28th August, 2024 at Choc, Castries. The evidence collected by the investigators was probative, and as a result, Palmerston was also charged with three counts of kidnapping, one count of robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery,” the RSLPF statement said.
Celestine was granted bail of $12 000 on the drug-related charges. However, when he was taken to the First District Court for a bail hearing on the robbery charges, he was remanded into custody.
Phulgence, meanwhile, is on remand on three counts of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, and one count of robbery. St Louis was granted bail on three charges of kidnapping and one charge of conspiracy to commit robbery.
