TWO men, on a joint indictable larceny charge, were treated differently when they appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman on Tuesday. Thirty-two-year-old Mervin Branfield and Troy Mangal, 28, both of Second Avenue, Bartica, Essequibo River, are charged with stealing a truck winch on Friday, June 21. The truck winch is valued at $1.5M, and is the property of Platinum Service Station at Bartica.
Police Sergeant Renetta Bentham, prosecuting, had objected to bail for them, citing the nature of the offence and the penalty attached, as well as the fact that Mangal has another case of unlawful wounding, pending.  
However, Branfield was allowed pre-trial freedom on $200,000 surety while Mangal was remanded to prison and the case transferred to Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry for reassignment.
Meanwhile, the Chief Magistrate made the transfer to the Bartica Court for July 11.