A Venezuelan man, part of a quartet intercepted with arms and ammunition by the Joint Services at Eteringbang, pleaded guilty to unlawful weapons possession yesterday.
Luis Mansida, 33, who was charged along with countrymen Russeno Castellano, Carlos Mandez and Raphael Marquez, told acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry that the weapons are used for protection during cross border trading.
The men were arraigned jointly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, which heard that on December 7 at Eteringbang, Cuyuni River, Essequibo, they had a .38 revolver, a 16-guage shotgun and a 20-guage shotgun in their possession, all without licences. The men are also accused of having ten 20-guage shotgun cartridges and six .38 rounds without licences.
While Mansida offered a guilty plea through an interpreter, his co-accused pleaded not guilty. Mansida’s sentencing was deferred and all four men were remanded to prison.
Through the interpreter, Mansida related to the court that they “use the weapons to protect themselves while trading on the borders of Guyana in the Cuyuni, Essequibo area.” When asked by the magistrate why they were in Guyana, he explained through the interpreter that they were “transporting people.”
Magistrate Beharry-Sewnarine also inquired from the interpreter the means through which the men entered Guyana. The interpreter, after speaking to the men, briefly told the court that the entry was illegal, since the men did not present themselves to an immigration officer as one was not placed at “their” port of entry in the Cuyuni
.
In light of Mansida’s plea, the magistrate ordered the interpreter to explain to him that charges carry a minimum sentence of three years and a maximum sentence of five years. She then told the interpreter to enquire from the defendant whether he wanted to change his plea. The man, however, opted to maintain his guilt. Subsequently, the magistrate told the court that she would defer sentencing until December 30 and ordered that the men be remanded to prison.
Police said that around 12:25pm on Tuesday ranks of the Joint Services stopped and searched a boat in the Eteringbang River, and found the men and the weapons.
