TWO men were remanded to prison on a charge of simple larceny and damage to property. The accused allegedly broke into the tomb of Vishnu Samaroo, 19, and stole a cellphone and jewellery.

Roopchand Thomas called “Lil Shawn”, 19, and Leon Scott, 25, labourers of Hampshire Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

They were not required to plead to the charges which alleged that between February 15 and 16 they broke into the property of Amerally Samaroo, resulting in damage to the value of $130,000.

Meanwhile, Shantee Budhram, 27, of Hampshire Village was also charged along with with duo. She is accused of conspiring with the others. It is alleged that she told the duo that she saw when the deceased youth’s father placed valuables into the coffin. She informed the two and they hatched the plot to break into the tomb. She was subsequently placed on $50,000 bail.

The trio will make their next court appearance on March 8. On Wednesday last, the teen’s father, Amerally “Awad” Samaroo made the discovery when he visited the gravesite to complete tiling the tomb. The body of his son was also pulled from the coffin. He described the incident as a “heartless act.”

The two suspects reportedly confessed to committing the act. They told detectives that they learnt that the youth was buried with a lot of money. However, they stole only a cellphone and the rings, and denied they stole money, claiming that there was none in the coffin. They also admitted that after realising the rings were artificial, they threw them away.

Vishnu Samaroo was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2021 and lost the battle with the disease in January 2022.