Three men were hauled before a City Magistrate on Monday to answer to ganja trafficking charges following recent Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) arrests.
Leon Bishop, Avinash Inshanally, 29, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, and Kevon Simpson, 35, also of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where they pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Bishop denied the charge that on October 29, at Campbell Avenue, George-town, he had in his possession 46.3 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. He was represented by attorney-at-law Siand Dhurjon, who made an application for reasonable bail.
Dhurjon told the court that the man is a labourer and he denies trafficking the substance. The lawyer said Bishop has an occasional smoke and argued that the charge should be possession of narcotics and not possession for the purpose of trafficking because the man admittedly smokes but he was not trafficking the cannabis.
He further noted that Bishop is the sole breadwinner for his home, which consists of his mother, his niece and his aunt.
Police Prosecutor Richard Harris, who objected to bail being granted, told the court that CANU ranks were acting on information when they went to the location and observed the man. A search was then conducted on him and a bag containing the illicit substance was found. He was arrested and cautioned. The man allegedly gave an oral confession.
The magistrate set bail at $120,000 for Bishop.
Meanwhile, Simpson and Inshanally were jointly charged with possession of 47.9 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. The offence was allegedly committed on October 29, at Diamond Housing Scheme. They denied the charge. Prosecutor Harris said that CANU ranks went to the premises and made searches around the house and the cannabis was found in a bedroom, a chair in the sitting room and on the counter.
He told the court that both men gave oral confessions. He further said that he saw no special reasons for bail to be granted. However, the Magistrate released the two men on $120,000 bail each.
All three matters were adjourned until December 13. The men are required to report to the CANU Headquarters, while the magistrate asked the prosecutor to seek legal advice on whether the charges should remain as they are or whether they should be reduced to merely possession of narcotics.
