NINETEEN-year-old Wayne Peter appeared Monday before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, accused of stealing a mechanical alternator from a hardware store.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on June 19 at Industrial Site, Georgetown, he stole from National Hardware an alternator valued $57,000.

Police Corporal Bharat Mangru did not relate the facts to the court, nor did he object to the defendant being granted bail.

The magistrate placed Peter on $25,000 bail, but he explained to the court that he was penniless; thus he was released on self-bail, but has to return to court on Friday.