A driver from the Ministry of Health was yesterday remanded after he was charged with breaking into the Ministry’s vaccination centre and stealing vaccination cards.
Thirty-one-year-old Mark Samuels was taken before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magis-trate’s Courts where he pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleges that between August 22 and August 23, at Brickdam, Georgetown, he broke into the vaccination centre of the Ministry of Health and stole 66 COVID-19 vaccination cards.
Attorney-at-law Dexter Smart made an appearance on his behalf and he told the court that Samuels will abide with any conditions attached to reasonable bail. He said that his client maintains his innocence and he is not a flight risk. Smart further said that Samuels who is before the court on another charge has never missed a date for his other matter which is awaiting trial before the High Court. He also said that the vaccinations cards were not found on Samuels. He further said that the cards were not found in the man’s house either.
However, he was denied bail after Police Prosecutor Annalisa Brummell objected to bail citing the serious nature of the offence and noting that Samuels was caught on CCTV footage entering the centre. The matter was adjourned until September 27.
On August 27, a driver attached to the West Demerara Regional Hospital was remanded to prison after he was faced with two charges related to vaccination cards.
Avinash Rameshwar, 27, of Lot 50 Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
He was charged with simple larceny and forgery of official documents. Rameshwar was not required to plead to the charges.
The proceedings were then adjourned until September 20.
There is said to be a thriving business in the sale of vaccination cards to those who don’t want to be vaccinated.
