Shopkeeper remanded over ganja trafficking at Issano

A 58-year-old shopkeeper of Issano, Mazaruni River was refused bail by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for allegedly trafficking in cannabis.

Erwin Whitehead of Da Silva Street, Newtown, Kitty was said to have on April 26 496 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking at 14-Mile Issano.

According to the particulars of charge read by Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Lionel Harvey, Whitehead owns a shop at Issano and police acting on information received conducted a search of his premises and found a number of black plastic bags containing seeds, leaves and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The prosecution objected to bail on the grounds that no special circumstances were present in this case.

The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for May 10.