Two painters on Wednesday appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson to answer to the charge of simple larceny and were fined $30,000 each.

It was alleged that on January 19 at Georgetown, 41-year-old Namasa Nagapa of 121 Uitvlugt Pasture and 37-year-old Aleem Gafoor of 63 Leonora Pasture stole from State House, five bottles of Ivanoff vodka, one bottle of Eldorado five-year-old rum and one bottle of wine  totalling $18,000.

Gafoor and Nagapa were contracted to do painting at State House when the items were discovered in their possession.

The duo had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge upon the advice of their lawyer; but subsequently changed their pleas to guilty as, according to their lawyer “they will throw themselves at the mercy of the court.”

When given a chance to respond, they explained that the items were found in a corner on the veranda of State House among some empty cases and bottles and they thought that they had been placed there to be thrown away. The items were found to be in their possession when they were searched by security guards upon leaving the compound.
They were both fined $30,000.