Ammo possession charge dismissed after prosecution fails to prove case 

A Corentyne River chainsaw operator who spent more than seven months before the courts on a charge of unlawful possession of ammunition has been discharged after a magistrate ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Rajiv Singh, called “Issac”, 36, of Orealla Village, Corentyne River, Berbice, was on Thursday discharged by Magistrate Tuanna Hardy at the conclusion of a trial into an allegation that he unlawfully possessed 25 live 12-gauge cartridges without holding a firearm licence.
In delivering her ruling, Magistrate Hardy found that the prosecution had failed to establish the offence beyond a reasonable doubt and dismissed the charge. The decision followed a trial that was conducted over several hearings between June 23 and July 9, during which the prosecution called six witnesses before closing its case. Both the prosecution and the defence subsequently made oral submissions before the magistrate reserved and later delivered her decision. During his closing submissions, Defence Attorney Vinay Punwasi mounted a number of challenges to the prosecution’s case, arguing that the evidence presented was insufficient to sustain a conviction.
Punwasi objected to the prosecution’s reliance on an alleged oral statement said to have been made by Singh. The attorney also challenged the admissibility of aspects of the prosecution’s evidence, arguing that there had been a failure to establish the proper legal foundation for its admission. Punwasi further submitted that ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) involved in the operation were not equipped with body-worn cameras, leaving no independent electronic record to corroborate the circumstances surrounding the alleged oral statement.
After considering the evidence and submissions from both sides, Magistrate Hardy ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt and dismissed the matter. Singh had originally been arrested on November 30, 2025, and was later charged with possession of ammunition without a licence in force, contrary to Section 16(2)(a) of the Firearms Act.
The charge alleged that he unlawfully possessed 25 live 12-gauge cartridges without being the holder of a valid firearm license.
He first appeared before Magistrate Hardy at the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court on December 2, 2025, where he pleaded not guilty. Bail was refused at that hearing, and he was remanded to prison.
The matter was subsequently transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court before eventually returning for trial. Singh was granted bail in the sum of $300,000 on December 18, 2025.