By STACY MOORE Thursday, March 11 2010

A STATE witness in a case against a policeman who is charged with renting his firearm, on Tuesday appeared before a Siparia Magistrate on charges of larceny by trickery.

Jarvis Mark, 27, of Fyzabad, appeared before senior Magistrate Jo-Anne Connor in the Siparia First Magistrates’ Court.

It is alleged that between November 21 and December 31, 2007, he stole $40,000.

The money belonged to the Arima branch of the Eastern Credit Union Cooperative Society Ltd. The second charge alleged that during the period July 1, and 31, 2008, he stole $10,000 belonging to Nick Pathay.

The third charge alleged that Mark stole $10,000 on March 28, 2008 from David Alexander.

The charges were laid indictably by WPCs Bailey and Lively of the Fraud Squad (South Division).

Attorney Soorjan Singh, who represented Mark, said his client was a State witness in a matter and had been in police protection until he was charged.

“He is a State witness and was in protective custody. But he was taken out of protective custody and charged with these offences,” Singh told Connor.

Police court prosecutor Sgt Angus Harry told Connor that two of the police complainants were present in court and that he (Harry) had been informed that Mark requested to be removed from the State’s protection programme.

“Based on my instructions, this defendant asked to be taken out of protective custody,” Harry told the magistrate.

Connor made a note that arrangements should be made by the prison authorities to separate Mark from the general population.

Connor also ordered that Mark be traced and advised him of his right to apply to a judge in chambers for bail. He was remanded into custody to reappear today.