TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD Ornesto Thomas was on Wednesday placed on self-bail by Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a cellphone from another police rank.

Thomas, who resides at Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on May, 5, 2019, at the Police Sports Club, he stole one Samsung Galaxy S5 valued $60,000 and a Digicel phone card worth $2000, the property of Carl Saul.

According to Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, Saul is a serving member of the Guyana Police Force and is stationed at the Canine Section. On the day in question, he was at the Police Sports Club coaching a football team for an upcoming tournament and it was during this period that he thought he had his phone on him. After the coaching session was over, Saul made several checks for his phone in his pocket and surrounding areas, but could not find it.

The matter was reported and an investigation was launched; this led to Thomas’s arrest. When questioned, Thomas reportedly told the police that he had sold the phone to a man in Albouystown.

The defendant will make his next court appearance on May 21, 2019.