Alleged GPHC handbag thief on $10,000 bail

A 51-year-old electrician from Lamaha Street, Georgetown, was released on $10,000 bail on Wednesday after allegations that he stole a handbag from the Maternity Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Jinandan Singh appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he claimed that he found the handbag and was merely returning it to the hospital. The handbag contained one wallet, an umbrella, one bottle of perfume, one pair of headphones, two chargers, documents and $12,000 in cash, for a total value of $48,000.
The prosecution’s case was that on December 29, at the GPHC, the victim, Latita Samuels, placed her handbag with her valuables on the bag rack at the nurse’s station at the Maternity Ward. It was reported that a GPHC employee then saw Singh with the bag and raised an alarm. The court heard that it was not until 10:45h that Samuels noticed her bag missing. However, the bag was returned to the hospital.
In his defence, the defendant told the court he did not steal the items, but instead found them on the street: “I returned the bag and now I’m here,” Singh told the Chief Magistrate.
He will make his next court appearance on January 8.