Four charged separately for gun, ammo, marijuana possession

Last Updated on Friday, 10 March 2017, 16:18 by Derwayne Wills

Four men were on March 9 charged before city magistrate Fabayo Azore for illegal possession. Although the matters are seemingly not connected, all four men were arrested on March 7 at Omai Landing, Essequibo.

Mark Sampson, 20 years, of Linden was charged before city magistrate Fabian Azore with illegal possession of 450 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The court heard from Sampson’s lawyer, Clyde Forde, that Sampson did not admit ownership of the narcotics, allegedly found on his person. Sampson plead not guilty to the charge.

Stephen Atkinson, 35 years of Mainstay, Essequibo, also appeared before Azore yesterday charged with illegal possession of a pistol with matching ammunition. Atkinson, an excavator operator in the Omai area, plead not guilty to the charge against him.

According to Atkinson’s lawyer, Latchmie Rahamat, the narcotic was not found in his possession, but in a shop occupied by four others.

23-year-old Dexter Cameron was slapped with illegal possession of 892 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. Cameron, a pork knocker from Central Mahaicony, plead not guilty to the charge.

Although the narcotic was found in a mining camp under a bed, the court heard from Cameron’s lawyer, Charleana Fung-A-Fat, the bed is shared with multiple persons.

Finally, Eldeus Paddy, also represented by Fung-A-Fat, was charged with possession of 73 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. Paddy, 34 years of Burnham Drive, Linden, plead not guilty to the charge.

The police prosecution objected to bail for all four of the men citing the nature of the offenses as well as the penalties attached. For Paddy, however, the police prosecutor told the court the 73 grammes of cannabis was found in a pouch around his neck.

All four men were remanded until today, March 10, when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. The chief magistrate extended the remand date until March 19, when the matter will come up in the Mahdia Magistrate Court.