Businessman fined for buying stolen vessel, engine

A Guyanese businessman was fined $300 on Wednesday for buying a stolen 15 horsepower engine and an inflatable dinghy from a former Moorings employee.

If he fails to pay the fine in the mandated one-week timeframe, 55-year-old Mohamed Yonnas will spend two weeks at Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut.

Yonnas was sentenced after pleading guilty to possession of goods reasonably suspected to be stolen.

The court heard that Yonnas paid $300 for the engine and $400 for the dinghy. He purchased the stolen items from Kasim Harrigan who was recently given a six month suspended sentenced for one year for stealing the items.

The value of the engine is roughly $5,000 while the dinghy is approximately $2,300.

What happened

The court heard that between November 1 and December 17 last year, Harrigan stole the items from his employers and sold it to Yonnas who owns a mechanic shop for maritime vessels.

After suspecting that they were robbed, The Moorings made a report to the Road Town Police Station who then launched an investigation into the matter.

The stolen items were found in Baugher’s Bay, Tortola, following which Yonnas named Harrigan as the man who sold him the vessel and engine.

In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Shawn Innocent said Yonnas’ early guilty plea, his no previous convictions, his good character, and the fact that he cooperated with the police went in his favour.