While charges of receiving stolen articles were on Friday dropped against security firm owner Richard Khanai, he was warned that similar charges can be instituted against him tomorrow when he makes his required police log in.
Khanai’s attorney, Euclin Gomes, told Stabroek News yesterday that his client is supposed to report to the station tomorrow for a possible reading of new charges.
This newspaper understands that the likely charge has to do with a stolen One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) computer that was also found among a list of other stolen items at the Laluni Street, Queenstown head office of Khanai’s Strategic Action Security company.
About a month ago, an operation by police led them to the Queenstown business premises. Police from both La Grange, West Coast Demerara (WCD) and Eve Leary, acting on intelligence gathered from sources, swooped down on the building and found several stolen articles, including four laptops and other electronic devices.
Police searched the property after receiving tips from persons that items stolen from a number of villages on the WCD were sold to an official of the company and that some of the items were in storage at the Queenstown office.
A plough was also among the stolen items. However, on Friday charges against Khanai pertaining to the plough were dismissed when he appeared before Vreed-en-Hoop Court Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo.
This was because there was insufficient evidence to tie him to the receiving stolen articles charge.
It was alleged that Khanai received a farming plough, which was the property of Edward Persaud, a WCD farmer.
Persaud informed the state that he did not wish offer evidence against the accused. The recovered OLPF computer is believed to have been stolen from the project’s warehouse in Forshaw Street, Queenstown, a few corners away from Strategic’s head office.
Khanai was then placed on $200,000 station bail pending the outcome of the investigation into the possession of several stolen items.
