Fisherman jailed on arms, ammo charge

A POINT Fortin fisherman explained to a magistrate yesterday that he did not know a black bag given to him for safe keeping by a friend contained illegal arms and ammunition.

However, 58-year-old father of four Sookraj Bharath’s explanation did not impress Point Fortin Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle, and he was sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour. Bharath’s female companion, Daimatie Jaipersad, 54, was subsequently reprimanded and discharged when she appeared before Magistrate Earle-Caddle on the joint possession of arms and ammunition charge. Bharath, of Millette Street, Newlands, Point Fortin, pleaded guilty to the charge. Cpl Geoffrey was the court prosecutor.

Bharath told the magistrate that on December 16, a fisherman friend of his gave him a bag which contained the arms and ammunition. Bharath said it was not until later on in the day that he noticed the bag contained two Venezuelan-made pistols and 38 rounds of ammunition. Bharath said he grew afraid about the implications of having the illegal weapons, but never mentioned it to anyone. Bharath added when police armed with a search warrant came to search his house, he immediately handed over the bag. When arrested, he told the police men, “Boss, ah man give meh this to keep for him.” Both accused persons were represented by attorney Frank Arthur Seepersad.

Bharath was reprimanded and discharged on the possession of  ammunition charge but sentenced on the charge of possession of the two firearms. Magistrate Earle-Caddle, however, told Bharath he should have reported the matter to the police. She added that while she may have accepted his explanation, the prevalence and nature of the offence had to be taken into consideration. Bharath told the court Jaipersad, who was visiting him at the time of the police raid, knew nothing about the arms and ammunition. Attorney Seepersad pleaded for a non-custodial sentence for Bharath, reminding the magistrate that Bharath was the father of four children and had neither pending matters nor previous convictions.