Employees placed on bail for stealing sardines, coconut milk

Aug 30, 2021 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Charged, Milton Barnwell

Kaieteur News – Three alleged sardine and coconut milk thieves, were on Friday placed on $250,000 bail when they appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a break and enter and larceny charge which alleges, that they broke into the bond of their former workplace, Memorex Enterprise, and stole over $7M in items.
Those charged are: Milton Barnwell, 52, a security guard of New Amsterdam Berbice; Prakash Hemchand, 28, of Queenstown, Skeldon, Berbice and Mark Balprashad, 29, a driver of Second Street, Corentyne, Berbice.

Prakash Hemchand and Mark Balprashad

The trio appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, who read the charge to them. The men pleaded not guilty to the particulars of the charge which states, that between April 1, and August 20, 2021 at Durban Street, Lodge, they broke and entered a bond and stole 379 cases of sardines, 156 cases of mackerel, 200 cases of coconut milk, 25 bottles of hand sanitizers and other items totaling $7,541,700, property of Anthony Ameerally.
According to reports, during the dates mentioned in the charge, the men were employed by Memorex Enterprise. It was reported that Barnwell, who was a security guard, resided at the bond to provide 24-hour security.
However, it is alleged that on August 20, last, when the owner made checks at the bond, it was discovered that a large number of his stocks were missing. A report was made to the police and Barnwell was later arrested. Under caution, the security guard reportedly confessed to the crime and then implicated Hemchand and Balprashad as his accomplices.
A further investigation was conducted by the police and an eyewitness admitted to seeing the trio removing the items from the bond.
Senior Magistrate Daly subsequently placed the defendants on bail, but ordered that they lodge their passports at the court and report to the East La Penitence Police Station every Monday.
The trio is expected to make their next court appearance on September 24, 2021.

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