Savitri Ramnauth, the teen who confessed to stealing over $150,000 from her employer was on Friday placed on special probation for six months, which will allow her to be engaged in self-development activities.
Ramnauth had pleaded not guilty to the charge of larceny by clerk or servant when she made her first appearance before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton. She was placed on $85,000 bail by Magistrate Octive-Hamilton. It was alleged that she stole $198,342, from Survival Shopping Complex where she was employed as a cashier at the time. She was subsequently dismissed by the company.
On her second appearance, Ramnauth, represented by Attorney Paul Fung-a-Fat, changed her plea to guilty.
Ramnauth, 18, of Lot 3 Triumph, East Coat Demerara, confessed to Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry that she had stolen the sum of cash from the register because of temptation. However, she said she was willing to compensate the full sum of money to the company before the court. But a representative of the supermarket had stated that the company did not wish to accept repayment; justice needed to take its course.
The case was then adjourned while Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry ordered a probation report prior to sentencing.
On Friday last, the magistrate sentenced the teen to special probation which would allow her to be engaged in a six months programme provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Guyana) through a project called Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE).
SKYE’s target group includes school drop-outs, youth who completed formal education or training but do not have the necessary skills to find employment and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. SKYE works in regions Four, Six, Nine and 10.
Ramnauth held her mother as she left the court room with tears in her eyes. She was the first youth offenders to benefit from the initiative.
