Giving his reason for stealing over $5 million in gold jewellery as having “nothing,” and claiming that he returned all of it to a police officer, a West Coast Demerara (WCD) youth has since been sentenced to four years behind bars after pleading guilty to a simple larceny charge.
The charge against 19-year-old Vikki Ganga, of Jetty Squatting Area, WCD, states that between January 25 and March 3, at Lodge, Georgetown, he stole from the dwelling house of his employer, one 23 karat gold bangle valued at $3 million, a gold and diamond chain valued $2 million, one 9-piece gold nugget set worth $1.8 million and $100,000 cash.
Ganga admitted to stealing the items when the charge was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant was employed by the virtual complainant to work at her residence as a handyman. However, between the days mentioned, he went into the woman’s bedroom on four occasions and stole the aforementioned articles.
The matter was reported to the East La Penitence Police Station and an investigation was launched. The defendant subsequently turned himself in to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station on March 19 where he handed over only the gold and diamond chain to a police officer who arrested him and escorted him along with the one article to the East La Penitence Police Station.
Upon hearing the facts, Ganga was asked by the Chief Magistrate why he stole the items and what he did with them. His response was, “Because I don’t have nothing and my family don’t have nothing.” His side of the story partially differed as he stated that he indeed turned himself over to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station when he heard that they were looking for him, but with all the stolen items and not just the chain.
He contended that he had given a police officer who was later identified as ‘Granville’ all the items. On hearing the defendant’s claim, the Chief Magistrate ordered that a further investigation be conducted.
She then sentenced the teen to a four-year term of imprisonment due to the nature of the offence and the quantity of the articles that were stolen.
