Two men were yesterday remanded to prison after being charged with stealing raw gold from miners in the interior.
The courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan heard that between June 1 and June 30, at Arau Mountain Top, Wenamu River, Essequibo, Stephan Marks, 22, of Plastic City and Orin Stoll, 22, of Lot 56 Plantation Best, West Coast Demerara, armed with a shotgun, robbed Paul Torres of three ounces of raw gold, valued at $630,000.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to them.
Meanwhile, Marks also pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of armed robbery. It was alleged that on August 27, he stole two cellular phones, worth $12,000, two torchlights, worth $32,000, and an ounce of raw gold, worth $240,000, from Joshua Mohammed.
Attorney George Thomas, who represented Stoll, told the court that his client was asked by his employer to do an errand for him. On his way to do the task, the lawyer said, the police detained him.
Thomas said Stoll is adamant that he had no knowledge of what the police are accusing him of doing. The lawyer further noted that since the magistrate’s court where his client will be tried does not sit on a regular basis, Stoll would spend most of his time in jail if he were not granted reasonable bail.
However, Police Prose-cutor Deniro Jones sternly objected to both the men receiving bail, while noting that Stoll gave the police a different address from the one which he gave the court, while Marks did not give the police an address where he could be contacted. The prosecutor said the lack of addresses for the men will make it a hard task for the police to find them in the future.
The Chief Magistrate subsequently remanded both men to prison. Their matters were adjourned until December 13, when they will be heard at the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.
