Gold miner remanded for narcotics

Shawn Samuels was on Thursday arraigned before Georgetown Magistrate Faith McGusty on charges of possessing fifty-five (55) grams of cannabis and five grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, on July 31, 2017 at Mowasie Landing in the Essequibo River in the Potaro-Siparuni district of Region Eight.
Represented by Attorney-at-Law Paul Fung-A-Fat, the 46-year-old father of nine pleaded not guilty as charged, and the attorney sought to have his client placed on bail on ground of existing special circumstances, in that there is overcrowding in the Prison.
Moreover, the lawyer contended that the drugs were not discovered on the person of his client, thus possession or ownership cannot be attributed to him.
Fung-A-Fatt said the drugs were discovered in a workshop which houses the businessman’s mining equipment, reportedly concealed in a motorbike.
He also argued that the workshop, unused for five months, had been broken into, thereby allowing access to any person who could’ve been the real owner of the illegal substances.
However, Prosecutor Steven Telford, disputing the lawyer’s contentions, related that the drugs were found in the presence of the defendant, and were not concealed in a motorcycle, as argued by the defence.
The prosecutor said the defendant had also allegedly confessed to ownership of the narcotics in a caution statement provided to Police officers.
Magistrate McGusty, addressing the lawyer, said, “There is space now (in the prisons); they are welcoming all.”
She added that there exists accommodation respectively at the Lusignan, Camp Street and Timehri penitentiaries, and she remanded the defendant to prison until his case comes up for recall on August 7, 2017.