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Three remain at large as charges are reinstituted

Jul 04, 2012 News

CANU 42-kilo drug bust…

The Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) is still to locate three of the four men for whom wanted bulletins were issued as drug charges against them were reinstituted. To date only Narayan Jarbanbhan has been taken into custody and the charge read to him.
Yesterday, head of CANU James Singh told this publication that the three other men – Salim Bacchus, 49; Gary Belgrave, 52, and Leo Hernandez, 44 – have not presented themselves to the Unit.
On June 14, last, charges against all of the men were reinstituted by order of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The men were initially charged with possession of 41.856 kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. They all pleaded not guilty to the offence after which they complained of being brutalized by CANU ranks.
In December, last, three of the men were released from prison on their own recognizance after their names mysteriously disappeared from the case docket.
According to the particulars of the charge, on November 3, at Line Path, Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice, the four had in their possession 41.856 kilogrammes (92 pounds) of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
At the Springlands Court, the men’s attorney, Ramesh Rajkumar, argued that his three clients—Jarbandhan, Belgrave and Hernandez—were in fact never charged and were locked up wrongfully for a prolonged period. Magistrate Krishndat Persaud then ordered their release. The fourth man, Bacchus, of Crabwood Creek, whose name appeared on a separate docket, was further remanded to prison.
Initial reports are that the names of the three persons appeared on the outside of the other docket, but Bacchus’s name was written again on the inside of that one. Following their appearance before Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond, the case was transferred to the court of the acting chief magistrate, who transferred it to Magistrate Persaud.
When the charge was originally read to the quartet, CANU Prosecutor Oswald Massiah had told the court that Jarbandhan was charged with a similar offence committed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) while he was travelling to Canada, in 2009. Jarbandhan was charged after allegedly being caught with 2.553 kilogrammes of cocaine in a false compartment of his suitcase at CJIA. At the time, his address was given as Gordon Street, Kitty, and he was described as a clothing trader.

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