The alleged theft of over $1.2M in steel pipes from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) landed two men, including a driver who had been hired by the company, in front of a city court yesterday.
Driver Curtis Reid and contractor Royston Peters appeared before city magistrate Ann McLennan on a joint charge that they stole 172 15’ 2” steel pipes, worth $1,204,000 and property of GWI, in Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden, between July 13th and August 3rd.
Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Peters, of Amelia’s Ward, Linden, was unrepresented, while Reid, 27, was represented by attorney Konyo Sandiford-Thompson.
Sandiford-Thompson told the court that Reid was a plumber as well as a canter driver who worked for his father’s canter business in Linden.
The attorney stated that Reid’s father would often receive contracts from the utility company and that her client had been hired by GWI to transfer a quantity of pipes. Reid did as was requested of him and up until his arrest, he was unaware that he was under investigation, Sandiford-Thompson said.
She further informed the court that the pipes were retrieved at a central location and it had in fact been Reid who pointed the police to the location of the pipes that he had transported.
However, police prosecutor Deniro Jones, informed the court that of the quantity of pipes that were reportedly transported, only 38 were recovered.
Sandiford-Thompson pleaded for reasonable bail for her client and testified to his character by stating he was a father of two, had never been investigated or charged, and was from a tight-knit community where he was very well known. Thompson assured the magistrate that Reid was not a flight risk and would report to court as often as is necessary.
The attorney further made an appeal for the case to remain at the city court as she said the magistrate’s court in Linden is still handling cases from the 2013 to 2014 period, which would therefore force her client to endure a lengthy wait before his case would be called.
The men were eventually each granted $75,000 bail with the requirement that they report to the Amelia’s Ward Police Station every Friday at 7:30AM.
The case was adjourned to August 19th, when it is to be heard at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.
