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French Guiana-based teacher freed on marijuana charges

Aug 29, 2012 News

After being incarcerated for more than three months and then granted $1M bail a week ago, a Guyanese who teaches in French Guiana was on Friday freed on drug charges.
Charles McLeod, 27, who had been accused of drug trafficking was freed after a no-case submission by his lawyer, Charrandass Persaud. Magistrate Krisendat Persaud, at the Springlands Magistrate Court, upheld the submission.
McLeod, a married father of three, resides in French Guiana and stays by his parents at Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, whenever he is in Guyana. He is contracted by the French Guiana government to teach in that country.
The case for the prosecution was that earlier this year, the police were on the Princetown public road, Skeldon, Upper Corentyne, when they stopped a silver-grey motorcar, HC 497.  There were four passengers on board, including McLeod.
The occupants were searched. A bag belonging to McLeod was searched and in a curry powder jar, police found what was suspected to be seeds, leaves and stems suspected to be marijuana plant. A further search of the bag unearthed another black plastic bag with similar contents.
The occupants were taken to the station .The contents was tested and weighed and found to be 460 grams of cannabis sativa and after investigations McCleod was charged.
After numerous attendances, the police witnesses were mostly absent and no exhibits were presented.
The lawyer in his arguments had first asked the court to grant his client bail due to the fact that since the case started the main police witness has been regularly absent.  He had stated that since his client’s incarceration, he has been unable to work and may be in jeopardy of losing his contract.  The Magistrate had on Friday granted the accused $1M bail.
The lawyer  argued that his client has no case to answer since during the trial no  exhibits had  been submitted to prove the Prosecution’s case that his client was ever in possession of the prohibited substance.
The magistrate thus dismissed the case.

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