THE General Manager of El Dorado Gold Trading at Port Kaituma, North West District, who is alleged to have orchestrated the recent $93M heist on the company, was remanded to prison when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday.

Twenty-nine-year-old Neville Chandrawattie, of Lot 33 Sparta, Essequibo Coast, was not required to plead to the indictable offence, particulars of which said, on November 8, at Port Kaituma, he stole 96 ounces of gold valued $22M and $71M cash, belonging to El Dorado Gold Trading.
Police Corporal Bharat Mangru, holding for prosecuting counsel, Mr. Glenn Hanoman, told the court that the accused was employed at El Dorado Gold Trading at Port Kaituma as the General Manager and is known to Amirullah Kuturatullah alias ‘Iron Roller’, who was previously charged.
Mangru added that sometime prior to the commission of the crime, Chandrawattie and Kuturatullah planned how they would steal the money and gold from the company.
The prosecutor said Chandrawattie allowed Anil Dairam, who is also charged, to enter the premises and hide under the bed and the accused GM then put sleeping tablets in the porridge of his co-workers.
Dairam tied up the workers while Chandrawattie packed the money and gold and gave them to him, Dairam, who then made his escape. He hid the remainder of the gold and then consumed the sleeping pills.
Chandrawattie admitted to planning the robbery and took the police to Kuturatullah’s house where money and gold were found and he handed over what he had, the prosecutor said.
Mangru successfully objected to bail for the latest accused in the case, citing the fact that he poses a flight risk and that there may be other charges.
Three attorneys-at-law
He was represented by three attorneys-at-law, Mr. Peter Hugh, Mr. Compton Richardson and Mr. Hughley Griffith.
Hugh argued that the offence is a bailable one and is not a case of robbery.
Addressing only the objection to pre-trial liberty, he said Chanrawattie was not caught on a border or on his way to Suriname and he does not know if the prosecution can see into a crystal ball to tell the future. Nevertheless, he would like to enquire into the nature of the other offences with which his client will be charged.
Mangru interjected that there is likely to be other charges but investigations are incomplete.
Hugh asked if this file had gone for advice from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the prosecutor responded in the affirmative but bail was refused and the case was put off to November 22.