A second man was yesterday charged with stealing over $17 million in weapons, jewellery and foreign currency during a burglary.
Fayad Amin, of Meadowbank, was placed on $250,000 bail after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of break and enter and larceny when he appeared in a Georgetown court.
It is alleged that Amin, 27, between July 2nd and July 4th, 2015, at Relief, East Bank Demerara, broke and entered the house of James Samuels and stole a 9 mm Glock pistol, 14 9 mm rounds, a 12-gauge shotgun, 58 cartridges, a Smith and Wesson .233 pistol, 20 .233 rounds, a quantity of gold and diamond jewellery valued $8 million, US$40,000, two metal safes, a flat screen television and 14 bottles of foreign liquor. The total value of those items amounted to over $17,200,000.
According to the prosecutor, the break and entry occurred after Samuels left for the United States. He said the police had received information stating that Amin was involved in the plotting of the crime, leading to the man’s arrest.
The prosecutor objected to bail being granted due to the value of what was taken.
However, Amin’s attorney told the court that the man, who was arrested on Thursday, had no knowledge of the crime. He also pointed out that the prosecution was not even sure of specifically when the break-in occurred, as heard in the reading of the charge. He pointed out too that no identification parade was held in which his client was picked out.
After hearing the submissions, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan placed the accused on $250,000 bail and transferred the matter to the Providence Magistrate’s Court, where it will be called on January 4th.
In July, Nabadamingi Gobin, 38, was read the exact same charge. At his arraignment, the court heard that Gobin, of Aubrey Barker Road, was found with one of the weapons that was stolen in the break-in.
