A taxi driver and his two passengers were yesterday arraigned on charges of unlawful possession of a gun and ammunition, which police said were found in the vehicle they were in.
Amad Ali, Shawn Simon, and Shawn Williams, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Ali, 40, a taxi-driver of Albouys Street, Albouystown, and Simon, 21, a computer technician of ‘E’ Field, Sophia, were released on $400,000 bail; while Williams, who is a mason of Charlestown, was remanded to prison.
It was alleged that on March 8, at Albouystown, they had the weapon and the ammunition in their possession although none of them had a licence.
A police patrol in the Albouystown area found the gun and ammunition in HB 6394, the vehicle in which the three accused were travelling, Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick said.
The officer-in-charge, he stated, noticed that Williams attempted to move something from his waist and subsequently challenged him. Bostwick said a search was conducted on Williams after he was ordered to step out of the vehicle. A gun was subsequently discovered in front passenger’s seat, he added.
Ali’s lawyer, Dexter Todd, told the court that at the time of the discovery his client was dropping off the other two accused, who entered his car as passengers. Todd, who asked for reasonable bail, said his client has no relationship to the other two accused. He also said the man has three children and is without any pending matters in court or previous convictions.
Attorney George Thomas, who represented Simon, said his client only became a suspect because he asked for a drop. He said that when his client entered the car, the other two accused were already in the vehicle.
Counsel said Simon was in the backseat of the vehicle and could not see whatever objects were found in the front seats.
Thomas asked that Simon be granted bail in a reasonable sum, and he noted that he too has no pending matters or previous convictions before the court.
But Bostwick objected to bail, saying he was afraid that the men might not return to court to stand trial.
The Chief Magistrate, however, granted Ali and Simon bail in the sum of $200,000 on each of the two charges against them, while she remanded Williams to prison on the grounds that all of the prosecution’s evidence pointed to him.
Ali and Simon were ordered to report to the Ruimveldt Police Station on from Friday.
The case will be called again on March 18.
