1 on bail, 1 sentenced to community service for ganja possession

Two individuals appeared before separate Magistrates this week after being charged in unrelated cases of marijuana possession, one of whom has been placed on bail while the other has already been sentenced.
In the first case, 48-year-old Kaleta Victoria Bristol of Dazzle Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was arrested on Monday and charged on Tuesday with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, after 152 grams of marijuana were allegedly found in her possession.

Bristol appeared before Magistrate Teriq Mohammed at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court where the charge, filed under Section 5(1)(a)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, Chapter 10:10, was read to her.

She pleaded not guilty and was granted $50,000 bail. As a condition of her bail, the court ordered her to report to the Enmore Police Station on the last Friday of every month until the completion of the case. The matter was adjourned to September 8.

Police reported that Bristol was a passenger in a motor pickup, PAH 7995, which was intercepted around 14:30h on Monday at the Itaballi Police Checkpoint, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) where a search led to the discovery of the narcotics.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, 31-year-old construction worker Mark Major of Belmont, Mahaica, ECD was arrested on Friday last and charged with possession of 11 grams of cannabis.
He appeared before Magistrate Allan Wilson at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to the charge. Major was ordered to pay a $6,000 fine and complete 60 days of community service as part of his sentence.a