Issano shop-keeper on bail for attempting to bribe Police

Ernest Trotman, proprietor of an interior mining shop, was on Monday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a charge of attempting to bribe a Police Officer following a narcotics bust at his business premises at Issano Backdam, Mazaruni River, Region Seven.

The 39-year-old businessman of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo is alleged to have, on May 9, 2017 at the Issano Police Station, corruptly offered Alex Vaughn one ounce of raw gold as inducement to forbear charging one Wayne Stuart for trafficking in narcotics.

Represented by Attorney Latchmie Rahamat, Trotman pleaded not guilty to the charge; and

Rahamat related that Police had found a quantity of narcotics on her client’s business premises during a raid conducted by officials some time before the alleged incident. She said Trotman had gone from Zeelugt to Issano to investigate the drug find when he was arrested by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) upon his arrival. She said the accused was searched, and declared to a Policeman a quantity of gold and some cash, among other valuables which he lodged at the station.

She described the accused as a gold miner with no previous brushes with the law; having a fixed place of abode, and thereby not a flight risk.

Trotman was placed on $150,000 bail, and the case has been reset for May 25.