Jamaican in BVI accused of selling stolen boat granted bail
Published:Tuesday | February 19, 2019 | 1:51 PM
TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC – A Jamaican man accused of selling a stolen fishing boat and engine was granted US$40,000 bail.
Charged with theft is fisherman and construction worker Chevon Russell, who was not required to enter a plea when he appeared in court last week.
Russell, who is unrepresented by a lawyer, denied the claim and is scheduled to return to court on March 7.
Prosecutors allege that between December 2017 and January 2018 the accused made a verbal arrangement with another fisherman on the island of Virgin Gorda who is said to be the rightful owner of the boat and engine in question.
The court heard that the arrangement was that Russell would utilise the vessel to fish and in turn he would do odd jobs for the complainant.
The court further heard that after making the arrangement the complainant did not get back his items.
It is alleged that when he questioned the accused Russell said something went wrong on the boat and it was undergoing repairs in Tortola.
The boat was eventually found on Tortola in another person’s backyard.
The person claimed they had purchased it from Russell.
The vessel and the engine were subsequently seized.
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