Construction workers charged with stealing $400,000 in items

Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce on Friday granted bail in the sum of $150,000 each to five construction workers charged with stealing items worth $407,000.
Patrick Adams, Seon Duncan, Adrian Greene, Shawn Duncan, and Akeem Greene, all of Linden Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) pleaded not guilty when they appeared at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts.
It is the Police’s case that on July 10, at Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), they stole a Honda generator, three rolls of construction plastic, and binding wire among other items, totalling $407,000—property of Charles Ramlackhan.
According to the prosecution’s short facts, the virtual complainant (VC) was awarded a contract by the Government for the construction of a school in Mahdia. As such, Ramlackhan hired Adrian, who brought the other defendants to work with him.

The court heard that the five men travelled from Linden to Mahdia earlier this month and began working on the project. On the night in question, the VC left the premises with the items mentioned in the charge intact and went to transact business.
However, shortly after, he received information that his workmen had packed the generator and other items into a motor car and driven away from the construction site.
Ramlackhan immediately made contact with the Police which resulted in a roadblock being set up at Linden. During the roadblock, the Police stopped a motor car with five men. A search of the car unearthed all of the stolen items.
Adrian, who had initially pleaded guilty, had been jailed for six months by Magistrate Scarce.
But that sentence was vacated after Ramlackhan informed the court that he had been in talks with this defendant’s father to settle the matter.
In light of this, Magistrate Scarce reread the charge to Adrian and he pleaded not guilty. This matter will be called again on Thursday for the prosecutor to report on the status of the settlement talks between the VC and Adrian’s father. Adrian and Akeem are related.