Magistrate Fazil Azeez at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court yesterday fined the captain of a tug $10,000 after the man admitted that he gave false information to the police in Essequibo
Lloyd Smith of Supenaam, Essequibo Coast admitted to the charge of giving false information to the police and was handed the fine with an alternative of six weeks imprisonment.
Police said that the charge stemmed from a report Smith made at the Aurora Police Station on June 2. He had claimed that while he was taking a barge and pontoon from Georgetown to Buck Hall, four men armed with firearms had boarded the vessel in the Atlantic Ocean off the shore at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, and robbed him of two water pumps, a battery and some documents
He subsequently gave a different version to the police at the Leonora Police station last Thursday and following investigations, it was revealed that at the time Smith was ashore consuming alcohol with a group of friends and could not give an account for the articles stolen and had concocted the robbery story.
Attorney-at-law Nandine Ramkumar entered an appearance for Smith yesterday. In asking that his penalty be lenient, she told the court that he had gone at a birthday celebration and it was his boss who took him.
Upon his return, she said, he discovered the items missing and in his drunkenness made the report.
In asking for a minimum penalty to be applied, she said that he had an unblemished record and had five children to support.
After listening to the submissions, the magistrate handed down the penalty.
Meantime, Magistrate Azeez sentenced another man to nine months imprisonment after he admitted to stealing two cellular phones. Robin Persaud of Coglan Dam, Pouderoyen admitted to the charge of simple larceny and was handed the sentence.
According to the facts on the case, on April 4 at the Route 32 Fish Shop, Vreed-en-Hoop he stole the phones worth $76,000, the property of Shawnel Smith. The court was told that Persaud went up to Smith and asked her to buy a bottle of coke for him but she refused. He then grabbed the phones and ran away.
Smith said that she and a group of friends were dancing at the time and the phones were on the table. The matter was reported and following investigations, Persaud was arrested and charged.
Persaud told the court that he wanted to apologize and was then handed the sentence.
