A car wash attendant was yesterday brought before a city court on two charges of possession of narcotics for trafficking.
Tony Lancaster, 31, who gave his address as Lot 11 Trinity Street, New Amsterdam and Third Avenue, Bartica, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty.
It was alleged that on March 29, 2020, at Itaballi checkpoint, Mazaruni River, Lancaster had one gramme of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in his possession.
It was also alleged that on the same date and at the same place, Lancaster had 977 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking in his possession.
Lancaster, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, told the court that he was on his way into the interior when the truck that carried 13 passengers was stopped at the toll gate by officers requesting to conduct a search.
He claimed he was then handed a bag containing the drugs by an officer, before being slapped twice and told to say that it belonged to him. Lancaster said he denied the allegations and requested to be taken into custody instead.
Police prosecutor Delon Sullivan, however, gave the court a different account of what occurred.
Sullivan said Lancaster admitted to officers that the bag containing the particulars belonged to him, stating that “Is me bag and me weed and I doing a hustle.” The prosecutor, who also noted that Lancaster providing conflicting addresses to the court, objected to bail on the ground that the man may be a flight risk once granted bail.
Agreeing with the prosecutor, the magistrate refused bail and remanded Lancaster to prison until April 6, 2020.
