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Barry Dataram trial…272 pieces of cocaine admitted as evidence
Two hundred and seventy-two pieces of cocaine were tendered and marked as exhibits when the Barry Dataram cocaine trial continued before Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Barry Dataram
It is alleged that on April 16, last, at 661 Fourth Avenue, Block X, Diamond, East Bank Demerara, Dataram had 129.23 kg of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
However, Dataram, of 13 Vriesland, West Bank Demerara, is not facing the charge alone. His 19-year-old reputed wife, Anjanie Boodnarine, of 79 Patentia Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara, and their friends Komal Charran, 20, of 265 Belle West, West Bank Demerara, and Trevor Gouveia of Best Village, West Coast Demerara, were all slapped with the charge.
When the matter continued yesterday, Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson made an application for two boxes containing cocaine pieces to be admitted as evidence in the trial.
One of the boxes contained 92 cocaine pieces while another contained 180.
However, before the items were admitted into evidence they were viewed and counted by the defendants in the presence of CANU Officer Andrew Yarde.
This was due to the absence of defence counsel Glenn Hanoman who is representing the quartet.
Before trial commenced, Dataram had requested an adjournment date since he was unaware of his attorney’s whereabouts. Magistrate Latchman had stood down the matter for about 10 minutes before returning and proceeding with the trial.
Latchman pointed out that the lawyer gave no notice to the court and efforts made by her clerk to contact him proved futile.
The trial was subsequently adjourned until June 27.
According to court facts, Dataram and Boodnarine share a common law relationship at the Diamond address. While Charran and Gouveia claimed to be friends of the couple.
On the day in question, ranks from CANU swooped down on the house and conducted a search in the presence of the defendants. During the search they unearthed the illicit drug. The defendants were then told of the offence, arrested and charged.
It was reported that some of the cocaine was stuffed in frozen seafood, while the remainder was found to be bricks of raw cocaine. As a result, Barry Dataram who was in the house at the time of the bust with his reputed wife and three other persons were arrested.
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