Penal fishermen hid drugs in bushes

Yesterday, Justice Anthony Carmona, presiding in the First Criminal Assizes, San Fernando, said he would end his summation of the case today.

The three accused men: Ramesh “Pooya” Soobnarinesingh, 37, his brother Parasram Manoo, 25, and brother-in-law Learie Lincoln Andrews, aka “Boots”, 32, claim they found ten black packages containing the drugs at sea, and planned to carry them to the police.

The trial began two weeks ago. The State alleged that on August 18, 2000, Cpl Jonathan Paul Gunness and a party of policemen went to Quarry Road, Morne Diablo, on inquiries. It was there that the three accused were seen hiding the drugs in some bushes on a piece of tarpaulin at the back of a house. Yesterday, Carmona told the jury that there was a difference between ownership and possession.

He explained that an item in the vicinity of someone’s reach or control is described as possession in law.

“So, in this case....the drugs were in the possession of the three men. Evidence showed that the men were found hiding the packages containing the cocaine in some bushes and placing it on a blue piece of tarpulin,” Carmona told the jury.

Giving an example of possession in law, Carmona said, “Someone who owns a shotgun may give it to someone else to keep. If that person is found by the police with that firearm, that person would be charged for possession of a firearm, although that person is not the owner.”

Carmona said it did not appear that the defence was challenging the issue of possession. He added that the defence’s case was based on the fact that the accused were taking the ten packets to the police.

Carmona advised the jury to take note of the amount of cocaine the men were held with, which is why they were charged with trafficking.

“According to the law, if a person or persons are held with more than ten grammes of a drug, it is considered for the purpose of trafficking and these men had in their possession 16. 3 kilos of cocaine,” Carmona said.

Carmona who began summing up on Tuesday, continued yesterday and is expected to finish today.

He would then begin and complete the evidence given by the defence, after which the jury would retire to consider their verdict.

State attorney Narissa Ramsundar is prosecuting, while the three men are being defended by attorneys Prakash Ramadhar, Brian Debideen and Chateram Sinanan.