‘Uncle Khalid’ pleads not guilty to explosives charge

POPULAR Princes Town supermarket proprietor Khalid Mohammed, who is known throughout the country  as “Uncle Khalid,” pleaded not guilty before a Princes Town magistrate to charges of illegally possessing a quantity of fire crackers.

Mohammed and another prominent Princes Town businessman, Sudesh Seecharran, yesterday appeared before Second Court Magistrate Siumongal Ramsaran. Mohammed appeared charged with failing to make entries in the relevant registers for the receipt and delivery of explosives and having explosives exceeding one pound on sale without placing it in a secured cannister, while Seecharran, 43, owner of Waddie’s Auto Supplies, was charged with exposing explosives for sale without permission as a wholesaler or retailer. Both Mohammed and Seecharran pleaded not guilty to their respective charges and were granted continuing bail in the sum of $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. The bail had been set by a Justice of the Peace on Wednesday — the same day the alleged offences were said to have been committed.

A request by Mohammed’s attorney Faraz Mohammed for the seized firecrackers to be handed back to his client, who owns and operates Uncle Khalid’s Supermarket, was turned down by the court after prosecutor Cpl Zamsheed Mohammed successfully argued the seized firecrackers were a part of the prosecution’s evidence and had to be kept until the matter was determined. Magistrate Ramsaran said he could not make such a decision (on whether the seized items should or should not be returned) since the exhibits were not present in court. Magistrate Ramsaran promised to have the case dealt with expeditiously and adjourned Mohammed’s case to December 29. Seecharran’s matter was adjourned to February 10. Officers from the Firearms Interdiction Unit (FIU) carried out a major islandwide crackdown on illegal explosives such as firecrackers, scratch-bombs and rocket launchers, which are very popular during Christmas and Carnival. On Wednesday, firecrackers worth over $100,000 were allegedly seized by the FIU.

Also appearing in the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court yesterday was vendor Wendell Mooklal, 25, who appeared before Magistrate Margaret Alert, charged with selling firecrackers without a licence. Mooklal was placed on continuing bail of $15,000 after pleading not guilty to the charge. He initially appeared before a Justice of the Peace on Wednesday afternoon to answer the charge. Mooklal was arrested at Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, on Wednesday. His matter was adjourned to December 23. Sgt Harrilal Sookal prosecuted the case against Mooklal yesterday.