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Drugs found at Barry Dataram’s home were not concealed – CANU officer testifies
Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officer, Andrew Yarde told the court yesterday that the narcotics
Barry Dataram
found at the home of accused Barry Dataram were not concealed. He was at the time under cross examination by Attorney- at -law Glenn Hanoman, who is representing Dataram in the Magistrate Court trial.
CANU Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson called three witnesses to the stand – Yarde, Dataram’s former landlord Vishwamint Ramnarine and CANU rank Navindra Samaroo – when the matter continued yesterday before Magistrate Judy Latchman.
In his testimony ,Yarde had said that 428 parcels of plastic wraps with suspected cocaine were seized from Dataram’s home at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
He added that the suspected drug was in a white refrigerator. The fridge, he said, was taken by him to CANU Headquarters, Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, in a CANU vehicle.
Still under cross examination, Yarde further testified that he did not have to do much digging to find the alleged narcotics, it was in plain view.
He also told the court that he was not in possession of a search warrant when he went to Dataram’s home. According to him, the drugs were found after he acted on information and went to the location. The CANU officer noted, however, that he would not reveal the identity of the person who tipped him off.
Yarde said that no one else who had access to the house, including the landlord, was arrested or questioned about the alleged narcotics find.
Vishwamint Ramnarine, the landlord, in his testimony told the court that he rented his two-storey premises to Dataram in 2013 until the incident. He said that Dataram told him, his name was ‘Kevin Dataram’ and produced documents to that effect.
Under questioning by Hanoman, the witness told the court that a neighbour also had keys to the premises. He however pointed out that this was prior to him renting his house to Dataram.
Dataram, his 20-year-old reputed wife Anjanie Boodnarine, and their two friends, Trevor Gouveia and Komal Charran, are currently on High Court bail. They are accused for allegedly having 129.23 kg of cocaine in their possession at 661 Fourth Avenue, Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara, on April 16, 2015, for the purpose of trafficking.
On a previous occasion, Dataram had angrily called Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) officer Yarde, a liar. Yarde, during his testimony told the court that he had never conducted any raid pertaining to Dataram prior to the charge he is now facing.
“This man is a liar,” Dataram said in a loud tone. He claimed that Yarde had conducted a raid on him before and accused the detective of stealing his money.
In response, to Dataram’s allegation, the witness had told the court that he had stopped and searched a vehicle belonging to Dataram after he was charged. However, Yarde explained that Dataram was not a suspect in the operation and that nothing illegal was found in the vehicle.
In response to further questions by the CANU Prosecutor, Yarde had recounted that in the latter part of February he was watching a television newscast and saw reporter Travis Chase doing an interview with Dataram. He said that during the interview, he heard Dataram admit to dealing in drugs.
The reporter, Travis Chase, and a technical staffer of the newscast, Nigel Fraser, are expected to testify when the trial continues tomorrow.
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