A handyman, accused of taking over $700,000 in proceeds from groceries sold at his boss’s shop in the interior, on Thursday told a city court that he was being victimised.
The charge against Rawle Small states that between August 4 and 10, at a Cuyuni River location, he fraudulently converted $738,000 worth of groceries to his own use and benefit.
The groceries were the property of Charles David Ross, who owns the shop where Small worked as a part time handyman.
Police Prosecutor Dinero Jones had no objections to bail being granted, however, he asked for it to be a substantial amount.
After asking the magistrate to spare him a few minutes so that he could explain himself, the unrepresented Small told the court that he was being victimised by his employer.
He stated that he had been working for Ross for the past four months and had not been paid for his services. Small admitted that he was indeed supervising the shop during the period when the alleged fraud was committed but he maintained that he followed the instructions of the sales clerk and recorded everything he sold.
Small was eventually granted $150,000 bail and the case was adjourned until August 20th, when it will be called at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
