A man who the prosecution said was nabbed by police ranks with a quantity of cannabis in his possession was yesterday remanded to prison when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton.
The allegation against Gershum Brisport, 36, is that on August 15 at Omai Public Road, Essequibo he had in his possession 2 lbs of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
The mason who resides at 15 Third Alley, Wismar, Linden denied the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when it was read to him at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Attorney-at-law Trenton Lake requested reasonable bail for his client but his application was denied.
Advancing what he termed special circumstances, the lawyer said that his client has denied the charge since at no time did he have ownership or control of the alleged illegal substance. According to Lake, on the day in question, his client was on his way to work when he was stopped and searched by a party of policemen.
After subjecting himself to the search, the lawyer related to the court that the lawmen found nothing illegal on his client.
Subsequently, counsel said, one of the officers “went into the bush” and returned with a bag which they said contained the alleged cannabis and that it belonged to his client.
The attorney said that his client is innocent of the charge leveled against him. In a bail application Lake said that Brisport has no antecedents, poses no risk of flight, has a fixed address and has been cooperating with police investigations.
Police sergeant Lionel Harvey, however, said that the facts of the prosecution differed from that of the defence. Harvey said that according to his instructions, the alleged cannabis was found in the defendant’s left hand in a plastic bag.
The prosecution objected to the bail application made by the lawyer, citing that the arguments he advanced to the court did not amount to special circumstances.
After listening to the submissions of both sides, the magistrate contended that specifics of the case will be fully ventilated during the trial. Brisport was then informed that he would be remanded to prison.
His matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrates’ Court for November 1.
