Cocaine in ochroes accused now charged over peppers

A Kitty resident who is currently on remand over a charge of trafficking cocaine in ochroes was on Monday once again before the courts; this time charged with trafficking the illegal substance in wiri-wiri peppers.

The allegation against Caleb Caesar is that between April 1 and 26, 2013 at William Street, Kitty, Georgetown, he conspired with other persons to traffic in a quantity of narcotics.

Caesar was not required to plead to the indictable charge read to him by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 1.

 Caleb Caesar
Caleb Caesar

Prosecutor Michael Grant objected to bail citing the nature, gravity and prevalence of the offence.

The prosecutor also explained to the court that the defendant’s previous matter is currently before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at Court 5 awaiting ruling.

When asked by Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry the reason for the matter being brought to court at such a late date; given the time when the alleged offence was said to have been committed, Grant said advice had only been sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on December 15 this year.

The unrepresented defendant was then remanded to prison until January 12, 2015.

Caesar was previously arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on an allegation that he was party to a plot to export 15.55 kilos of cocaine hidden in ochroes to the United States between April 1 and August 13, 2013. His co-accused, electrician Hadrick Cummings, had pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in jail and fined $40.5 million.

Caesar was charged in June this year and had pleaded not guilty. A trial subsequently commenced and has since ended; a ruling is to be handed down.