The two accused “trunkers” who were caught by public-spirited citizens in the vicinity of Orange Walk, Bourda, last Friday as they allegedly tried to escape with $2.6 million and several other items were both remanded to prison yesterday when they appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Parmanand Rampersaud, 48, of Lot 7 Caneville, Grove, East Bank Demerara and Derick Persaud, 47, of Market Street, Grove, East Bank Demerara both pleaded not guilty to two counts of simple larceny.
It is alleged that on February 20, Rampersaud and Persaud stole $2.6 million from the car of Rodin Sarabo. The two are also accused of stealing a quantity of hardware items valued $40,468, from the vehicle of Lilian Ishmiah on February 27.
However, the defendants’ lawyer Nandanie Ramkumar applied for reasonable bail for them on the grounds that they were not the persons who had broken into the vehicles belonging to Sarabo or Ishmiah. She said that on the day in question her clients were transacting some business when someone approached them with a bag saying that they had some things to sell. Ramkumar said that at the same time the police were passing and the person suddenly dropped the bags and fled the area. According to the defence attorney that was how her clients ended up with the bags in their possession.
Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith stated that all of Sarabo’s money was recovered. She objected to the bail applications on the grounds of the prevalence of the offences. She said there were several eyewitnesses who had seen when Rampersaud and Persaud exited the vehicles with the items in their possession. Griffith stated that on February 27, the police were on patrol duty in the vicinity of Orange Walk, Bourda, when several individuals alerted them that there were two “trunkers” in the area. She said that they caught Rampersaud and Persaud with several bags in their hands containing some of the stolen items and also some instruments which are used to unlawfully unlock vehicles.
Griffith also said that Rampersaud was not a first-time offender but he had been before the court for similar offences.
The magistrate subsequently ordered that both defendants be remanded to prison and transferred the case to Court Five for Friday.
