A 61-year-old Leopold Street man was yesterday remanded to prison after he was charged with attempting to take narcotics into the Camp Street Prison.
The charge against Ishwar Persaud, of 57 Leopold Street, stated that on August 31, at Camp Street, he had in his possession 20 grammes of cannabis.
Persaud, a sign artist and a craftsman, denied the charge after it was read to him by Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman.
According to the prosecutor, who objected to bail being granted, on the day in question Persaud went to the Georgetown Prison to carry food and other articles for a prisoner on remand. Persaud was searched by a constable, who discovered the cannabis in a pair of boots. Persaud was then shown the drugs and told of the crime he had committed by the rank. He was later taken to the Alberttown Police Station, where the drug was weighed in his presence.
When asked by the magistrate if the drugs were concealed, the prosecutor stated that there was no indication that the drugs were concealed but noted that the cannabis was in a transparent bag.
Persaud told the court a similar story, while noting, however, that the items were given to him by a neighbour to take to a prisoner, with the promise of $1,000 as payment. He noted that he had no idea what was in the items other than he was taking food items and other things. He was later remanded to prison and the matter was adjourned until September 18.
