Prison guard jailed for smuggling ganja into Lusignan Prison

A 21-year-old prison officer has been sentenced to more than three years behind bars after pleading guilty to smuggling cannabis into the Lusignan Prison.

Marlon Malcolm, of Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and a serving officer at the Lusignan Prison, was arrested on July 24 and charged on Monday. The charges are introducing narcotics into prison, contrary to Section 7(1)(a)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, Chapter 10:10 and Possession of Narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, contrary to Section 5(1)(a)(i) of the same Act, relating to 124 grams of cannabis. Malcolm appeared before Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded guilty to the first charge but not guilty to the second. Following his guilty plea, he was sentenced to three years and six months’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of $30,000.
The case for the second charge will continue at a later date.