| …makes them swear on BibleAfter relentless pleadings by the virtual complainant Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday discharged a matter against four employees attached to the W & T Company Ltd.Raymond Hinds, 38, of 66 First Street, Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara; Sherwin Spencer, 30, 2292 Soufriere Street, North Ruimveldt; David Green, 30, of Charlotte Street; and Compton King, 32, of 25 Norton Street, were all charged with simple larceny and with receiving stolen property respectively.Sherwin Spencer is accused of stealing $2.7 million from Navin Rameshlall between December 3 and December 4 last. He later gave the other defendants various sums of the stolen money.They were charged with knowingly accepting the money with the knowledge that it was stolen or unlawfully obtained. The court was told that Raymond Hinds received $300,000; David Green, $210,000, and Compton King, $236,000.Spencer and Hinds initially pleaded guilty while King and Green pleaded not guilty to the charge. The two men quickly changed their pleas to not guilty after the magistrate informed them that imprisonment was the penalty.Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford, who objected to bail, said that Sherwin Spencer had access throughout the building because he is an electrician. The prosecutor further stated that $1.58M was recovered on the defendants. He explained that $1.2M was recovered on Spencer.He noted that the money is lodged at the Brickdam Police Station. The magistrate inquired if the money was lodged “safely” at the lockups and was answered in the affirmative.One of the defendants, Compton King, said that he and David Green are employed at the company as security officers. He explained that on the day in questioned he saw Spencer and Hinds trying to leave the building with two black bags.He said that they enquired about what was inside the bags and Spencer showed him the money. King said that Spencer told him that they got the money from the ‘Arcadia’, a video shop.Rameshlall who was present in court yesterday said that he had secured the money in a bond behind his garment store. The man explained that the money was intended to pay bills.As the magistrate was about to remand the defendants the virtual complainant asked theMagistrate to release the men and that he did not want to proceed with the matter.Rameshlall then went into the witness box and gave sworn evidence stating that he was not pressured into saying that he did not want to proceed with the matter.“My worship, I’m a businessman and I ain’t got time to run to court I just want de money what de police collect and let de matter finish,” Rameshlall said.He also claimed that two DVD players, a battery back-up, printer were all stolen from his store. However the investigating ranks apparently didn’t have full knowledge about what the man was claiming.One rank said that he knew about one DVD player and another said that he would enquire adding that if the items were lodged at the station he would definitely get it. “My worship the police took these items from me and I want it back” Rameshlall said.The only request from the VC was that the defendants swear that they would never steal or commit any other criminal offence for the rest of their lives.“My worship I want them to swear on the Bible that they would not do this again,” Rameshlall said. Each of the defendants so solemnly swore. The men were also placed on a bond to keep the peace for two years and required to pay court cost in the sum of $50,000 each. |
