David Bolden denied stealing cash from Emerald Capital International [ECI], telling a jury the money was taken from the accounts to reimburse legitimate expenses.Mr Bolden and his wife Antoinette are on trial accused of stealing more than $250,000 from ECI and laundering $65,000 of it.The couple set up the company with two Canadian businessmen, Jason Bagg and John Wright, who have given evidence for the prosecution that the couple made unauthorised and unapproved cash withdrawals.Yesterday, giving evidence in his own defence, Mr Bolden, 48, insisted the money taken out of ECI represented legitimate expenses he and his wife, 47, were owed in relation to a wireless technology project.He and the Canadian partners decided to begin work on the project after attending a presentation in Las Vegas in April 2008 and a follow-up in Toronto the next month.Mr Bolden told the jury he was the lead partner for ECI on the venture.“It had always been agreed that we would be reimbursed for the expenses that we spent. It was agreed that Antoinette and I would have salaries for the work we had done,” he said.“I would get $10,000. It was also agreed that we should aggressively pursue the project and move forward with the incorporation of the wireless company.”Mr Bolden told the jury all the partners agreed on $10,000 as his salary but a dispute later arose over how money was going to be divided up.He said: “At the end of the day the money came from the investors and we had to ensure that what we were doing was fair in their eyes.”“I genuinely thought I knew that we had an understanding that all salaries were reimbursed.”The Boldens, from Harrington Sound Road, Hamilton Parish, deny 14 theft charges and four money laundering charges. The case continues.