Bajan gun dealer on weapons charges

(Barbados Nation) A gun dealer charged with not only failing to register his transactions but with possession of 21 guns – some of them high-powered weapons – without the proper licences was remanded after a late afternoon court appearance yesterday.

Michael Holder, 43, of Christ Church, had 25 charges, including 21 charges of possession of illegal firearms, read to him by Magistrate Graveney Bannister. Holder appeared in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court.

The president of the Barbados Rifle Association is accused, in District B’s jurisdiction, that, being the holder of a firearm dealer’s licence, he failed to forward to the Commissioner of Police, before January 15, a true record of the extract of the register of all transactions and that, being the holder of a firearm dealer’s licence, he failed to make an entry in the register immediately after the transaction took place, all on January 30.

He is also accused that, being the holder of a firearm dealer’s licence, he kept 21 firearms at a place other than a location specified by the Commissioner of Police on January 31.