Rolston Bacchus, who is accused of recruiting drug mules, was apprehended by police while in the company of Mark Sauers, who was actually the one the police had been seeking at the time.
This was the testimony of Sanjay Chu, the Deputy Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), who in his evidence yesterday, stated that on May 31, he along with other CANU ranks, after receiving information, went in search of Sauers. Chu was led in his evidence-in-chief by Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson.
Bacchus is on trial before Magistrate Fabayo Azore. It is alleged that between July 1 and November 5, 2015 in Georgetown, he procured Kathleen De Florimonte and Odessa Pollard to traffic 12.348 kilos of cocaine.
The women were charged in November after they allegedly attempted to traffic cocaine in packets of powdered milk.
Chu told the court yesterday that Sauers was found in his car which was parked in a wash-bay on D’Uurban Street, while Bacchus occupied the front passenger seat. The officer said he recognised Bacchus as he had been wanted since November for questioning in relation to a narcotics matter. The two were, therefore, arrested and cautioned.
Under cross-examination, Bacchus’ attorney Adrian Thompson suggested to the witness that there was no mention of the names Pollard or De Florimonte to the accused when he was arrested.
Chu responded that they had gone specifically with the intention of apprehending Sauers after receiving information from convicted cocaine mule Safraz Jallalodeen, and they did not at all expect to meet Bacchus. He added that CANU was also looking for Bacchus after Jallalodeen’s arrest.
After their arrest, Bacchus and Sauers were charged before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on June 3 with procuring Jallalodeen to traffic six kilos of cocaine between April 1 and May 19, in Georgetown. They pleaded not guilty and were freed of the charges two weeks ago after Jallalodeen, in a shocking change of testimony, told the court under cross-examination that he did not know Sauers and CANU had promised him a reduction of his sentence if he were to testify against the defendants.
As such, Magistrate Judy Latchman, before whom the matter had been transferred, ruled on August 4 that a prima facie case had not been made out against the defendants. That case was dismissed.
Meanwhile, Bacchus is set to make his next court appearance on September 14.
