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Former journalist caught with cocaine strapped to body changes plea, remanded
Kaieteur News – What was slated to be the sentencing of former journalist, Zanneel Williams, 25, of Lot 181 Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown, on a narcotics charge, changed to her being remanded to prison after she pleaded not guilty.
Former journalist, Zanneel Williams
On Monday April 25, last three days after Williams was reportedly caught with a quantity of cocaine strapped to her body and also in her luggage, she appeared in court and had accepted culpability.
She had appeared in the Diamond/Grove Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Sunil Scarce – on that court appearance her sentencing was deferred to Monday. A psychiatric evaluation and probation report were prepared in her favour.
However, when the matter was called on Monday, Williams opted to change her plea to not guilty. She pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on Friday, April 22, 2022, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), she had in her possession 9.6 kg of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
The magistrate denied bail and remanded her until the next hearing of the matter on June 27, 2022.
Kaieteur News had reported that Williams alleged accomplices, former Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) officer, Anil Sookhoo, 33, of Lot 127 Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke- Linden Highway and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) officer, Shameka Caesar, 27, of Lot ZZ, D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, had denied the charge on their first court appearance and were both placed on $750,000 bail each.
Williams is being represented by attorney-at-law Lloyd Conway, Caesar is being represented by attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes and Sookhoo is being represented by attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson.
According to police, on the day in question, Williams was an outgoing passenger at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport destined for the United States. However, the woman was nabbed with a quantity of cocaine in the false sides of her laptop bag. She was then arrested and escorted to CANU’s Headquarters with the narcotics.
A further search of the suspect, which was conducted at the CANU headquarters, revealed a quantity of cocaine strapped to her body.
The substance was then tested and came back positive as cocaine, with a total weight of 9.6 kg. The narcotics had a total street value of G$60 million which is equivalent to US$300,000.
Further investigations led to the arrests of the former CANU officer and the GRA officer.
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