Two months after a wanted bulletin was posted for his arrest, Robin Llewellyn Wills was yesterday brought before the court to face a charge of trafficking in narcotics.
Wills, who has three addresses known to the police, is charged with the possession of 2.323 kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him in Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 1.
According to Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah,
a female friend of Wills had travelled to Guyana to attend a funeral.
During her stay Wills entertained her and her sister who lived in Berbice, taking them to several popular locations. The woman had also asked Wills to help her renew her passport, which had expired. Before her departure from the country, Wills asked that she take a bottle of vodka for a friend of his and she agreed to do so.
On November 17, 2013, Wills and his visiting friend were on their way to the airport, Massiah said, when Wills stopped at one of his known addresses, Lot 625 Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.
He unloaded the woman’s suitcase and allegedly placed what appeared to be three bottles of crème liqueur in it, wrapping them in her clothing.
Massiah continued that the woman’s Berbician sister had arrived in a taxi just in time to witness Wills’ actions. Leaving his car at Republic Park, Wills and the women continued to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
According to Massiah, before being processed the departing woman suspected that something was amiss. Before going through security checks she requested help from an airline staff member with opening her suitcase.
During a perusal of the contents of the suitcase, the assisting staff observed that one of the bottles was not sealed. Suspicions arose and the alarmed woman then called CANU ranks to conduct a proper search.
The search revealed a whitish substance, suspected to be cocaine. A test was conducted and the illicit substance was confirmed as such. In the presence of the CANU ranks, Massiah said, the woman gave a detailed statement vindicating herself.
Massiah objected to bail, citing the quantity of the substance and the length of the defendant’s evasion from the law.
The man, he said, is a possible flight risk.
The prosecutor further added that the defendant might tamper with the witnesses if let out on bail.
After considering the objections raised, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry upheld them and remanded Wills to prison until February 5 when he will make his next appearance at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.
