Seven freed of larceny charge

Seven freed of larceny charge

Seven men including a Justice of the Peace and three employees of the National Water Commission (NWC), have been freed of larceny of a water pump from the NWC's pumping station at Crofts Hill, Clarendon.

They are, 61-year-old Daniel Bajoo, Justice of the Peace and businessman of a Keystone, St Catherine address; Carrol Bajoo, 48, farmer, of Keystone; Timothy Mongal, farmer of Douglas Castle, St Ann; Carrol Walker, a 50-year-old labourer; and three NWC employees, Rock Miller, 36, electrical technician, and technicians 24-year-old Kevin Smith and 54-year-old Thomas Meredith.

Resident Magistrate, Stephanie Orr, freed them after hearing a no case submission from defence lawyer Dwight Reece in the May Pen Resident Magistrate's Court, Clarendon.

Reece argued that from the evidence presented, the prosecution did not prove its case against the men.

The allegation was that on March 30, citizens blocked the road to the pumping station and called the police. When the police arrived they saw the seven men and the two motor vehicles in which they were travelling. The vehicles were searched but nothing was found. On searching the bushes near to the pumping station, the police found a water pump and arrested the men.

Reece submitted that there was no evidence that the men were seen removing the pump and they were never found in possession of it.