A concrete-block maker and a security guard who allegedly broke and entered a nightclub and stole over $1M in rum were both remanded to prison yesterday when they appeared before Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Twenty-four-year-old Assif Cumberbatch of Lot 16 Campbellville Housing Scheme and Harry Ganesh, 38, of 36 Lamaha Street, Newtown, both pleaded not guilty to the charges of break and enter and larceny.

It is alleged that on November 1 Cumberbatch and Ganesh broke into  a nightclub owned by Cledwin Barnwell and stole 100 bottles of rum valued $1.2M, which was the property of Barnwell’s daughter, Nalini Barnwell.

Defence counsel  Mohamed Zafar applied for bail for the two defendants  on the grounds that the offence was a bailable one and they posed no flight risk.

However the prosecution objected to the bail applications on the grounds that nothing had been recovered. The prosecution also  stressed the seriousness of the case and stated that if Cumberbatch or Ganesh were granted bail they may not return to court. In addition, the prosecution said that the court should take into consideration the amount of money involved.  The prosecution said further that Ganesh was seen selling rum and when Cumberbatch was arrested he admitted breaking into the nightclub.

Meanwhile, Cledwin Barnwell who was in court stated that “my place was destroyed by these two guys, they clean out meh business cause they carry away all de foreign rum.”

The magistrate subsequently ordered that both Cumberbatch and Ganesh be remanded to prison and that they appear again in court on November 24.