A dredge owner was yesterday fined $100,000 for stealing a $10 million wash plant.
Vickram Singh, 32, was found guilty by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after being tried for stealing the wash plant, which is a piece of equipment used for gold mining, between February 1st and February 15th, at King Street, Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.
The wash plant is the property of Maria Ferreira.
The trial concluded with the court being satisfied with the evidence presented by the prosecution’s main witness, who testified to being the one who was contracted by Singh to transport the wash plant from Georgetown to Mahdia.
Chief Magistrate McLennan also noted that Singh, while leading his defence, contradicted himself with statements he made about his alibi and where he was when the crime was committed.
One of Singh’s witnesses, who is a police officer stationed at a checkpoint along the way to Singh’s worksite in Mahdia, was brought to testify to Singh being in Mahdia between the dates in question. However the witness’ evidence was viewed as contradictory after he admitted under cross-examination that there were other ways to enter and exit Singh’s worksite in Mahdia, proving that the defendant could have been in Georgetown without it being recorded in the logbook at the checkpoint.
Singh himself stated under cross-examination that there were other ways to get to Mahdia, which contradicted an initial statement that he made.
Chief Magistrate McLennan subsequently fined Singh $100,000, with an alternative of 18 months in prison if he cannot pay the fine. He was also ordered to return the wash plant to Ferreira by August 10th.
