More than a year after three persons, including the owner of Regent Multiplex were charged with stealing a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) transformer, the trial has not yet started for various reasons including the transfer of the presiding magistrate to another jurisdiction.
Stabroek News made several attempts to ascertain the status of the case, to no avail. When inquiries were made recently at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court this newspaper was told that Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin, who now sits at the Vreed-en-Hoop court, is still handling the matter.
When contacted Thursday, attorney Hukumchand who is representing the businessman, Ganesh Ramlall, would only say that the trial has not commenced. He said that he was not in court on the last occasion and could not say who is now handling the matter. Asked who the magistrate was on that occasion he replied that it was Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson. He subsequently indicated to this newspaper that he could not answer any more questions as he was engaged.
On January 28 last year Davin Jones, Ramlall and Rajesh Sanchara were charged with stealing the transformer. It is alleged that between October 27 and November 17, 2008 the trio conspired with other persons to commit a felony that is they allegedly stole one KVA transformer belonging to GPL valued at $4,140,000.
The matter was later called on at least three occasions but was adjourned.
The transformer was stolen from the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) Sophia location some time during the last two months of 2008 as, according to the company’s Managing Director Bharrat Dindyal, they had done an audit that October and at that time all the generators the company had in stock were intact.
It was only when a city businessman took three transformers to be tested by the company that it was discovered that transformers had been stolen.
The three had been sprayed over.
Following that discovery the company checked its stock and found that two heavy duty generators had also been stolen and information received led to one transformer being found installed at the newly built Regent Multiplex mall at the corner of Wellington and Regent streets.
