Damion Williams, one of the two men accused of trafficking almost 150 pounds of cannabis at Parika in 2017, was yesterday found guilty of the crime and sentenced to five years in jail.
Williams was also fined $136,557,000, while his co-accused, Vaughn Anderson, was freed.
Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool handed down the decisions yesterday at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court, where the two men were tried.
Anderson and Williams were charged with having in their possession 65.027 kilogrammes (equivalent to 143 pounds) of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking on December 24th, 2017, at Bhoodhoo Housing Scheme, Parika.
Magistrate Liverpool, in her ruling, stated that the evidence against Anderson was insufficient.
During the trial, Anderson had told the court that on the day in question, police officers visited his home and asked to do a search of the premises. He further stated that having found nothing in the house, the police requested to search his vehicles, which he allowed. It was during this search that they found the gas cylinder in the trunk of his car and proceeded to examine it.
He had indicated that Williams had asked him to keep the gas cylinder.
Anderson explained that he was placed in a room with Williams two days after he was arrested and related the story and that Williams accepted that he gave Anderson the bottle.
Williams, a part-time boat captain had, however, professed his innocence in matter. He had told the court that he was paid $30,000 to transport the gas cylinder to Parika. In his unsworn statement, he admitted to placing the gas cylinder in Anderson’s car.
Williams explained that on Christmas Day he learnt the police were searching for him while he was spending Christmas with his family in the Pomeroon.
As a result, Williams said he contacted his attorney on December 27th and visited police headquarters at Eve Leary, where he was informed that he was going to be charged for trafficking of narcotics.
“I told them I don’t do drugs and I have no knowledge of what they are talking about… I never see back that cylinder ’til the day in court when the police bring it back. I don’t know if it’s the same cylinder of not. I am innocent of this charge,” he related to the court in his unsworn statement after being called to lead his defence.
