A labourer, accused of attempting to traffic 15 grammes of cocaine, was remanded to prison yesterday.
Steve Richards, 43, of Lot 66 Cross Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, denied that on May 31, he had the narcotic in his possession, when the charge was read by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in a city court.
It is the prosecution’s case that around 8 o’clock on the day in question, a party of policemen, acting on information, went to a yard at Cross Street and met Richards in a hut. According to Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, the officers found a whitish rock like substance, which they suspected to be cocaine, on a table next to where the defendant was standing. Mangru added that Richards was then cautioned, arrested and slapped with the drug trafficking charge.
However, Richards challenged the prosecutor’s description of how he ended up charged. He told the court that he was heading to buy zinc sheets and wood when he was approached by the police officers and searched. Richards further mentioned that the illegal drug was not found on him but rather in a house.
Subsequently the Chief Magistrate remanded Richards and transferred the case to Courts 8 and 9, where Magistrate Faith McGusty upheld his remand and adjourned the case until June 27.
