A 36-year-old man who allegedly stole a car worth $1.9 million was remanded to prison when he appeared before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Drepaul Persaud of Lot 1 New Angle, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara pleaded not guilty to two counts of simple larceny when Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle read them to him.
It is alleged that last Tuesday Persaud stole on AT192 Carina car valued $1.9 million, property of Dyndial Jodhan. Further, on that same day he allegedly stole one Motorola radio set worth $100,000 which belonged to Sunil Mohan.
According to Persaud’s attorney, Paul Fung-a-Fat, his client met two men prior to the incident who said that they had been in an accident and were selling the items. Fung-a-Fat said Persaud had already handed over a quantity of cash to the two men and when the police arrived they fled the scene.
“He is a taxi driver and on the day in question he was driving his own car,” the attorney said. “How could he possibly steal that car when he was driving his own?”
The virtual complainant told the court that he met the accused the day before the car was stolen and the next day the car was stolen.
The prosecution objected to bail stating that the man has been identified in other matters, which occurred at West Bank Demerara.
Persaud was remanded to prison and he is to appear before the court again on Friday.
It was previously reported by this newspaper that the car was stolen from in front of the Georgetown Public Hospital in New Market Street and was recovered one hour later. Mohan discovered thieves stripping the vehicle near the Seven Ponds in the Botanic Gardens at approximately 1 pm last Tuesday. By that time the car’s number plate, HB 4062, had already been replaced with a brand new number plate, PJJ 2821.
Two of the car thieves escaped on foot through the back gate of the Botanical Gardens and an alleged accomplice, who attempted to drive out the front gate, was trapped because the gate had already been blocked.