“Minutes” cocaine conviction: Sentencing pushed to Jan 30 as new lawyer steps in 

A Georgetown clothes vendor who was convicted of cocaine trafficking has retained a new lawyer, who intends to make submissions on a legal point before the sentence is handed down. Consequently, his sentencing has been adjourned to January 30.
Shemroy Robertson, 31, also known as “Minutes”, was found guilty by a 12-member jury in the Demerara High Court of possessing 1.156 kilogrammes (kg) of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The verdict was delivered before Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif.
The conviction arose from a 2016 operation conducted by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).
During the operation, officers intercepted a gold Nissan Bluebird in the vicinity of Princes Street, Louisa Row, and Hadfield Street, Georgetown. Robertson, who was in the vehicle, was observed discarding a black plastic bag through the driver’s side window during the chase.
The bag was recovered by CANU officers and contained 139 pellets filled with a whitish substance. Forensic analysis confirmed the substance to be cocaine, weighing just over one kilogramme. Further investigations led officers to a residence on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, where Robertson was found hiding under a bed and was immediately arrested.
During the High Court trial, Robertson, represented initially by Attorney-at-Law Lyndon Amsterdam, denied any involvement in the offence in an unsworn statement from the dock. He claimed he had no knowledge of the drugs and was not part of any trafficking operation. However, the prosecution, led by attorneys Darin Chan and Latifah Elliot, presented detailed evidence, including the testimony of CANU officers, forensic reports confirming the drugs, and accounts of Robertson’s actions during the interception. The jury unanimously rejected Robertson’s defence and returned a guilty verdict.
Robertson has prior convictions for drug-related offences. In August of this year, he was found guilty of aiding in the trafficking of 1.174 kg of cannabis. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined $30,000 by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Courts. That conviction followed a CANU operation conducted on June 17, 2021, during which officers intercepted a minibus along Ann’s Grove Public Road, East Coast Demerara, and arrested a suspect found in possession of narcotics. Robertson was later apprehended as part of the investigation.
The High Court continues to hear matters involving long-standing CANU investigations, many of which date back several years. Robertson’s case highlights the prolonged legal processes associated with complex drug trafficking cases, as well as the rigorous evidence-gathering and prosecution required to secure convictions in such matters.