Judge blanks media from seeing ganja

Usually, judges allow reporters to accompany the "court" to the basement as this is considered a part of the hearing which originated in the courtroom.

Yesterday, accompanying the judge to the basement were his clerk, usher, prosecution and defence attorneys, the accused, jurors, the witness in the box at the time, and the court and process officers.

Keith Bissessar, 30, and Gabriel Deosaran, 39, are before Holdip in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court charged with possession of the 484 kilos of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking; possession of a nine-millimetre Bareta pistol, and ten rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition, on August 6, 1999, at Huggins Street, Tacarigua.

Cheron Raphael and Tricia Hudlin are prosecuting. Pamela Elder SC and Sophia Chote are appearing for Bissessar, while Ricky Rahim represents Deosaran. Hearing resumes this morning.

The only witness to give evidence yesterday was Sgt Kenneth Galindo of the Special Anti-crime Unit. Galindo said that in 1999, he was attached to the La Horquetta Police Station. On July 27, 1999, he received information, and on August 3, 1999, he went with an informer to Huggins Street, Tacarigua. He was shown two premises — one on George Wood Trace, and the other on Huggins Street.

While on Huggins Street, Galindo said he saw Bissessar standing inside an apartment. The accused, according to the witness, was leaning on a door. He was in company of other persons, including the other accused, Deosaran.

Galindo said he kept the premises under surveillance for at least four hours that day. Two days later, he returned to the scene and resumed surveillance. Questioned by Raphael, Galindo said he knew Bissessar for about two years before, having seen him on 20 to 30 occasions.

Following the second surveillance, Galindo went to the home of Justice of the Peace Ashton Johnson and obtained a warrant to search the Huggins Street premises. On August 6, 1999, Galindo said he returned to Huggins Street with other police officers.

"I knocked on the door of the downstairs apartment and I called out to the number one accused (Bissessar). Suddenly, the door opened and the accused started to run." Galindo said he and another officer ran after Bissessar, who was later apprehended.

Galindo said he executed the warrant at the apartment where he found 17 cardboard boxes filled with a plant material resembling marijuana. Alongside the boxes were 73 plastic packages containing the same material.

Galindo said he continued the search and, under a sponge mattress, he found a Bareta pistol and ten rounds of ammunition. Both accused were arrested and taken to the Tunapuna Police Station. At the station, the marijuana was found to weigh 484 kilos.

Under cross-examination by Elder, Galindo said he went on the surveillance exercises with an informer whom he did not name. He said his informer was a person in the drug trade. "I was told that he carried out his drug trade in Northern Division, selling small drugs."

He went on his surveillance exercises without a police photographer. Galindo said there was no Eye in the Sky at the time, nor did he have camcorders. "We were begging for those things," the witness added.

Galindo admitted that no fingerprint impressions were lifted from the apartment in Tacarigua. He could not remember if he had a fingerprint expert check the Bareta for prints. He has no prints from Bissessar on that gun.

Before the trial was adjourned, the judge ordered that the marijuana be returned to the property keeper at the La Horquetta Police Station.