Four men were yesterday charged with stealing aerial cable belonging to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) in Sophia.
The allegation against Rollan George, Seon Miggins, Michael Ramlogan and Tennessee Clarkson is that between September 28 and September 29, at Sophia, they stole 82 feet of 200 aerial cable, valued $71,610, and property of GT&T.
They were yesterday each granted bail in the amount of $60,000 after denying the charge when it was read to them by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in Georgetown.
George is 32 and resides at 718 ‘B’ Field, Sophia; Miggins, 28, resides at 47 West La Penitence; Ramlogan, a horse cart operator, resides at 355 South Turkeyen; and Clarkson is a 32-year-old driver and resides at 621 ‘B’ Field, Sophia.
The court heard from Prosecutor Michael Grant that on the day in question a crew from the telephone company was carrying out maintenance works in the Sophia area when they discovered the cable missing from a utility pole.
Grant said the crew went to a location where the cable was seen. According to him, the police were then called in and further investigations were conducted which led to the arrest of the four men.
George and Clarkson were represented by attorney Mark Conway, Miggins was represented by attorney Patrice Henry, while Ramlogan was unrepresented.
Both lawyers requested reasonable bail. Henry argued that the constitutional rights of the defendants were violated since they had been in custody since Saturday and held way in excess of 72 hours without charge.
The magistrate ordered the prosecutor to investigate why the men had not been taken to court within 72 hours of being detained.
Henry contended that the prosecution would be unable to prove that the men stole the cable as there were no eyewitnesses and no one knew what even occurred at the time of the crime.
The magistrate, however, cautioned that these issues will be dealt with at trial. Bail was then set in the sum of $100,000 for each defendant but was later reduced to $60,000 after Henry begged for a reduction while explaining that the men are of meagre means with families to maintain.
The case continues on November 17.
