Despite a lawyer’s desperate plea for bail, her client was remanded to prison on a charge of trafficking over 300 grammes of weed in the interior.
Gladwin Parris, 31, of Lot 118 Block 22 Wismar Linden, heard that on September 29, at Itaballi Landing, Cuyuni Mazaruni, he had in his possession 369 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. Parris pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
Making an appearance on behalf of Parris, attorney Latchmie Rahamat, told the court that on the day in question, Parris who is employed as a driver, was called by his employer to driver a tractor from Linden to Puruni. She said that when Parris arrived at his employer’s home the tractor was already packed with supplies. Rahamat said that on his way into the interior he made two stops for employees and other supplies.
The lawyer said that on their way, her client was stopped at the Itaballi check point, and the police searched them. She said the police found nothing on the men but when they searched the vehicle that Parris was driving, they found the alleged cannabis under the driver’s seat. Rahamat explained that her client insisted to the police that the drugs were not his but because he was the driver and because he was sitting on the seat he was charged. Moreover, she said that at the Bartica police station where her client and the two other passengers were kept, her client overheard policemen saying that Parris had gave a statement saying the drugs were his. When Parris enquired about the statement he allegedly made the police released the other two men and charged him with the offence.
Rahamat told the court that her client is not a flight risk and he has retained counsel to fight his case because he knows that he is innocent of the crime. She said that throughout the trip, her client was the one who made stops to purchase supplies while leaving the two passengers in the vehicle. The lawyer said that based on those reasons her client should be granted bail.
However, Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones, objected to bail citing that there were no special reasons to grant Paris bail. Jones said that according to his facts, the police stopped Paris at the Itaballi check point and the officers acting on information searched the vehicle and saw a black bag containing the suspected cannabis. Jones said that Parris told the police that the bag was his.
The chief magistrate, after hearing the submissions, remanded Parris to prison. His next court date was set for October 15 at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
