A labourer, who explained that he had been paid $500 to transport stolen items, was yesterday granted bail after denying a simple larceny charge.
Between March 23 and the following day on the Grove Public Road, Parmanand Insanally, 30, of 405 Block X, Diamond New Scheme allegedly stole $77,600 worth of items including an $18,000 wheelbarrow, 40 lengths of 5-inch steel rods valued at $11,790 and 2 spades, both valued at $2,600. The stolen items were the property of Tarachandra Khelawan.
Charged with receiving the stolen wheelbarrow was Ramesh Persaud, 42, of 159 Grove Squatting Area. It is the police’s case that Persaud, on March 24 on the Grove Public Road, received the property despite knowing that the said item was stolen. Both men pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them by Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Insanally instantly denied any knowledge of the crime. According to the man, he had been walking along the Grove Public Road when he was approached by a man, later identified as Ramesh Persaud, who offered him $500 to carry the lengths of steel rods to another destination.
Insanally said he obliged and emphasised once more that he had no idea that the items were stolen property.
According to Prosecutor Tracy-May Gittens, police ranks had been on patrol in the area and had received information about a robbery that had occurred. Gittens added that the officers noticed Insanally walking along with the steel rods in his hands and approached him to question him on his acquisition of the items. Though he explained that he was given the articles by another man, he was nevertheless arrested and subsequently charged with the crime.
During yesterday’s proceedings, it was disclosed that Insanally had spent a stint in prison some 3 years ago.
Prosecutor Gittens objected to the man’s bail, stating that investigations into the matter were incomplete and ongoing.
She also revealed that the other articles had been later recovered in Persaud’s yard. The prosecutor raised no objections to Persaud’s bail due to the fact that the man was an asthma sufferer.
Hence, Insanally was placed on $75,000 bail while Persaud received $30,000 bail. The pair will make a reappearance at the Providence Magistrate’s Court on May 2.
