Jamal Murphy, the alleged consignee for the cache of guns and ammunition found at the GNIC Wharf last Friday, was yesterday remanded to prison after being read two charges of illegal possession of munitions.
Murphy pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in Georgetown.
The first charge alleges that on May 8, at the GNIC Wharf on Lombard Street, Murphy had 589 rounds of varying calibre ammunition in his possession while not being the holder of a valid firearm licence.
It was further alleged that on the same day, Murphy had 17 firearms, including two AK-47 assault rifles and several 9 mm pistols in his possession while not being the holder of a firearm licence at the time.
According to Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, the discovery was made when a customs officer attached to the GNIC made checks to a box which was shipped by a Ron Murphy. The guns were discovered in a black haversack inside the box.
The discovery was subsequently reported to the police, who summoned Murphy. It was further related that during investigations Murphy told officers that the contents of the box were to be delivered to a third person, identified as David Johnson.
Making a petition for bail on behalf of the man, attorney Tanicia Daniels, who appeared in association with Glenn Hanoman, reported that not only was her client absent when the discovery was made but also that he had not seen the box or its contents to date.
She made further claims that Murphy was expecting a shipment of food items rather than weapons.
Mangru, who objected to bail, said Murphy had knowledge of the contents of the box since he told investigators the box and its contents were to be delivered to a third person. In pressing his objections, he also noted that Murphy had supplied the police with three different addresses for his place of residence.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Chief Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry refused bail and remanded Murphy to prison until May 14, when he will appear before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 3.
Meanwhile, police have issued a wanted bulletin for ex-policeman Mark Cromwell, who is being sought in connection with the discovery. Cromwell, called ‘Demon,” whose last known addresses are Lot 40 Vigilance, and Lot 10 Buxton, was in 2003 implicated in another arms bust.
