AFC’s Devin Sears walks free from marijuana charge after police relied on failed ‘smell test’

Last Updated on Thursday, 11 June 2026, 17:17 by Denis Chabrol

Former Alliance For Change+A Partnership for National Unity (APNU+AFC) parliamentarian Devin Sears on Thursday won a case of alleged possession of 310 kilogrammes of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking after the prosecution failed to prove what was the item beyond a mere ‘smell test’.

Linden Magistrate Rushell Liverpool dismissed the case after upholding no-case submissions by defence lawyers Nigel Hughes and Kiswana Jefford. Lawyer Bernard Da Silva was also part of the legal team.

The prosecution had relied on what was termed a “strong scent” of marijuana from the bags that were in the bus that Sears was driving when he was arrested by police late in the night of Monday, October 20, 2025 on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

Under cross examination, a policeman said he detected the scent as that of marijuana based on specialised training.

But Magistrate Liverpool ascertained that the policeman was not trained in that regard.

The police witnesses also conceded that they could not have seen the contents of the bags without opening them.

The evidence indicated that the contents were unavailable and relied on suspicion instead of proof.

During their first court appearance, the other occupant, 69-year-old Albert Sandy, a farmer from Tacama Waterfront, Upper Berbice River accepted responsibility for the marijuana when he appeared in court on October 23. He was was sentenced to four years of imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the AFC wekcomed the decision of the court and respect the judicial process that led to this outcome. “The ruling serves as a reminder that allegations, regardless of how serious, are not evidence, and public opinion can never be allowed to replace due process and the fair administration of justice,” the AFC said.

The AFC strongly condemned “the manner in which this matter was exploited in sections of the public domain and by political propagandists who sought to convict Mr. Sears in the court of public opinion long before the courts had the opportunity to examine the evidence.”

“The reckless dissemination of accusations, innuendo, and politically motivated narratives caused unnecessary damage to the reputation of an individual who has now been vindicated by the judicial process,” that party said.

Throughout this difficult period, the AFC said it  stood firmly in support of Mr. Sears’ right to a fair hearing and the constitutional protections afforded to every Guyanese citizen.