A FORTY-year-old housemaid accused of stealing $5M in jewellery and cash from her employer while he was away on vacation, Thursday, was placed on $100,000 bail after appearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer a charge of larceny.Yvette Sookraj of 330 Martyrsville, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and denied the charge.
Particulars of the charge alleged that between March 13 to 25 at Lamaha Gardens, she stole $2.9 million, US$400 along with a quantity gold jewellery valued at $130,000, property of Basil Dial.
Sookraj’s lawyer Mr. Bernard De Santos told the court that his client is a mother of two, who worked with the Dial’s family as a maid for eight years and that she has denied any knowledge of the missing articles.
Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru explained that Mr. Dial on May 13 prepared his family to depart the country and secured the missing articles in a safe in his bedroom.
Mangru noted that upon the man’s return, he noticed a large quantity of money missing and subsequently, the matter was reported to the police; a search was carried out on Sookraj’s bag and $100,000 fell out. The jewellery, however, was not recovered.
The prosecutor did not object to bail being granted and the mother of two will return to court on June 19 for statements.