Two men who kidnapped a St Elizabeth butcher and robbed him of his motor vehicle and approximately $73,000 last month were again remanded in custody when they appeared in the Santa Cruz Resident Magis-trate's Court on Monday.

Omar Hall and Omar Powell, both of Kitson Town, St Catherine are jointly charged with kidnapping, robbery, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition. They are scheduled to appear in the next session of the St Elizabeth Circuit Court on June 22.

kidnapped by the men

The court was told that on May 8, about 4:30 a.m., the complainant left his home in Santa Cruz for his business place at Rocky Hill where he was kidnapped by the men at gunpoint and robbed of $3,000 and his cell phone.

It's alleged that the men then took him home and ordered his girlfriend to hand over $70,000. They left with the complainant in his 1991 Nissan pickup. It is reported that, on reaching Longwood on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, the kidnappers stopped the vehicle and ordered the complainant out.

radio messages

The complainant immediately called the Santa Cruz police who sent radio messages to their counterparts in Area 3 and during a roadblock the stolen vehicle was intercepted in Clarendon after it crashed into a canal.

They were taken from the motor vehicle where the police recovered two illegal firearms and the complainant's cell phone. On May 15, they were place on an identification parade where they were pointed out.

They are also scheduled to appear in the Clarendon Resident Magistrate's Court this week to answer to gun and ammunition charges.