Latest update January 9th, 2025 4:10 AM
Latest News
- Gov’t fearful of what investigation of lopsided oil contract would reveal- Chris Ram
- Hess hopes govt. 7th oil project will be approved by April
- ‘Ceasefire, captives deal in Gaza ‘very close’—Blinken
- Guyana protests as Venezuela plans to elect governor for Essequibo
- Woman dies while relaxing in car with boyfriend
Trio refused bail on possession of cocaine charge
Sulaiman Delodin (left) and Wilfred Reece after their court appearance yesterday
Three persons, including a Nigerian national, who were allegedly caught on Wednesday, last, with an illicit substance while at a city hotel, were yesterday refused bail when they appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Wilfred Reece, 52, Shontel Mansfield, 29, and Nigerian, Sulaiman Delodin, were charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Defence counsel Nigel Hughes made an appearance for Delodin, while Reece was represented by attorney at-law Hukumchand.Shontel Manfield, the lone female, was unrepresented.
They all pleaded not guilty to the offence.
According to Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) prosecutor, Oswald Massiah, on February 23, last, CANU officers acting on information received, swooped down on Comfort Suites Hotel located in Bel Air, Georgetown, and unearthed some 4 kilograms, 430 grams of cocaine.
Massiah explained that on the day of the incident, ranks who visited the said hotel were allowed entry into the room by Reece, who was in the company of the two other accused. The prosecutor told the court that as the officers proceeded to search the room, they observed a bag containing what was suspected to be, and later determined to be cocaine. The trio were detained and subsequently charged
Hukumchand in addressing the court explained that his client, Reece, is a hire car driver who was at the hotel to uplift money owed to him by Delodin. The lawyer further stated that the situation was a very unfortunate one for the accused.
According to Hukumchand, his client, on the day prior to the incident, was contracted to transport Delodin from Springlands in Berbice to Georgetown, but was told to return the following day to receive payment.
“My client was in the doorway leaving with $1000 in his hand when the CANU officer told him to ‘go back into the room’. It was the money owed to him he went to collect,” Hukumchand said.
Reece, a father of two, resides in South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, with his wife.
Defence Counsel Hughes, who as indicated was representing Delodin, voluntarily addressed the court on behalf of Mansfield. He said that the accused is intimately involved with Delodin. The lawyer stated that on the day of the alleged bust, Manfield was visiting Delodin.
It was lamented by the lawyer that there is the likelihood that Manfield could have had no knowledge of the alleged substance that was found at the said location.
The court was told that Manfield lives at West Ruimveldt and is employed as a vendor.
It was also related that Delodin arrived in Guyana from Suriname on February 22 and travelled from Berbice to Georgetown on the same day.
After a lengthy submission made by the attorneys, Magistrate Beharry refused bail for the trio. The matter will be called again on March 21.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Jagdeo’s policies were a disaster
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Bharrat Jagdeo’s proclamation of his party’s approach to reducing income inequality... more
Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible... more
Weekend Cartoon
