Magistrate Fazil Azeez before whom Arjune Basdeo of 22 Ruimzeigt, West Coast Demerara, appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court, also on the West Demerara, handed down the sentence after the prisoner, when questioned, told the court that he sold the article for $50,000.

The court was told that prisoner once worked with Khanoo as a carpenter and on the day in question the virtual complainant secured his home and went out. Upon his return, less than an hour later, he observed Basdeo coming out of the house. The accused escaped by jumping a fence.

On checking, Khanoo found the item missing and made a report to the Police.

However, the magistrate had cause to chide the investigation rank for the manner in which the investigation was conducted, as it was only after he ( the magistrate) questioned the prisoner that the court learnt that the item was sold for $50,000.

The prisoner, when further questioned by the magistrate, said he knows where to find the buyer of the item, but according to him the Police who arrested him one week later never asked what he did with the chain.

An admission by the investigating rank that he never posed the question to the accused, prompted Magistrate Azeez to remark “What kind of investigations are you Police doing… without a buyer there can be no sellers… those are questions you need to ask.”

And, when a female associate of the accused informed the court that the Khanoo “was given back his things” the Magistrate said it mattered not, as Basdeo “has to pay the penalty for his criminal behaviour.”
He then sentenced him to the one-year jail term.