Charles McLeod, 27, of French Guiana, who was facing charges of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking before Magistrate Krishndat Persaud, walked out of the Springlands Court a free man on Tuesday.
The court heard that on May 9, 2012, McLeod, a language teacher was reportedly found with 460 grammes of cannabis sativa in his possession during a police roadblock at Princetown, Corriverton.
Defence counsel Charrandass Persaud successfully entered a no-case submission on behalf of his client, who had been placed on $1M bail about one week before the case ended.
Reports are that McLeod and three other passengers were travelling in a silver grey motor car, HC 497 when it was stopped and searched. Police found a multi-coloured bag, reportedly owned by McLeod, a father of three. In it, was a black plastic bag with a ‘Madras’ curry powder jar that contained a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems in five compact plastic bags suspected to be marijuana.
The occupants were taken to the Springlands Police Station where the contents were tested and weighed and based on investigations Mc Leod was subsequently charged.
In his submission, Persaud had said that McLeod stays at his parents’
Nabaclis home on his visits to Guyana. The lawyer had also argued that his client should be granted bail because of the regular absence of the main police witness.
He had said too that his client was a teacher with the government of French Guiana and was in jeopardy of losing his contract.
Persaud made a no-case submission based on the fact that no exhibit was presented to the court during the trial, indicating that there was no proof that his client was ever in possession of the prohibited substance. After listening to the submissions, Magistrate Persaud dismissed the case.
