Two miners were on Tuesday fined after they admitted to stealing a quantity of raw gold and a magic mat from a dredge owner in a Mahdia backdam.
Emmanuel Cambridge and Travis Walton admitted to stealing 24 pennyweights of raw gold, valued at $240,000, and a magic mat, valued at $7,000, from Ravina Ramjit.
Both men pleaded guilty with explanation to the charge when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown.
Prosecutor Arvin Moore told the court that on September 16, Ramjit posted her workers to guard the magic mats and they discovered one of them missing.
A report was made to the police.
Moore stated that both of the accused were later arrested and they confessed to removing the magic mat and the gold, which were subsequently lodged at the Mahdia Police Station.
Cambridge, who claimed to be the owner of a dredge, told the court that Ramjit brought the crime upon herself since she made promises that she did not keep. Cambridge stated that Ramjit promised to give him “a spot” after he worked five pits.
However, he said after Ramjit left the backdam and he proceeded to work on a spot, he was stopped from operating by wardens. He added that he stole the mat in order to get “a start” so that he could move his own dredge from the land.
Walton, of Lot 3666, North Ruimveldt, told the court that he assisted Cambridge in taking the mat to the landing.
The Chief Magistrate later fined the two men $50,000 each, with a default sentence of eight weeks in prison if they cannot pay.
