A man was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $75,000 after he was charged with larceny when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The allegation made against Osmond Ali, 19, is that on January 25, at a city supermarket, he stole one bale of cigarettes valued at $75,000 property of Aarifa Wahab.
Ali pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
His lawyer Paul Fung-a-Fat in his bail application told the court that his client poses no risk of flight since he resides at 52 Station Street, Kitty.
He told the court that his client has no previous convictions or pending matters before the court and that the article mentioned in the charge was recovered.
Counsel further went on to say that his client is an orphan and works as a clerk.
Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick in relating the facts of the matter told the court that on the day in question the virtual complainant saw the defendant throwing the item over a fence on surveillance cameras.
The prosecution objected to bail, stating that the defendant had a previous matter of similar nature before the court, the nature of the offence and the punishment it would attract if the defendant was found guilty.
Bostwick further stated the item mentioned in the charge was never recovered.
The defence then challenged the prosecution, arguing that his client’s pre-trial liberty should not be determined based on the fact that he had a similar matter before the court which was dismissed.
The presiding magistrate, after listening to submissions from counsel and the prosecution, granted Ali bail in the sum of $75,000.
He was also told to report to Constable Thomas at the Kitty Police Station every Friday at 08:00 hrs.
He will make his next court appearance on February 22.
