A 27-year-old trader who allegedly had an unlicensed gun, ammunition, and cocaine and ganja at his hinterland shack when police searched it was remanded to prison yesterday when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Justin Noordwyk of 70 William Street, Campbellville pleaded not guilty to four charges of possession of firearm and ammunition without licence, possession of narcotics and possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and was remanded to prison by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.
It is alleged that last Sunday at Sukwari Settlement, Cuyuni River, he had in his possession 17 rounds of .32 live ammunition and a .32 Tarus pistol without being the holder of a firearm licence. It is also alleged that on that date at Sukwari he had in his possession 0.4 grammes of cocaine and 29.1 grammes of ganja for the purpose of trafficking.
Attorney-at-law Ronald Burch-Smith appeared for the defendant. He submitted that his client was accosted by a party from the Guyana Defence Force and Guyana Police Force. The defence counsel said his client suffered a large gash to the right eye at the hands of those men and had also been beaten by them.
He said Noordwyk received blows about his body and was in severe pain. He declared that the items mentioned in the charge were found in a shack owned by another person and none of the items was found on Noordwyk’s person or in any place that he had control over.
In a bail application, Burch-Smith said his client was the father of four children who worked in the interior as a trader and miner. Stating the address of the defendant, he said he was not a flight risk and had strong ties to his community.
Police Prosecutor Shellon Daniels in objecting to bail stated that police were on patrol and the defendant was the only person in total control of the shack.
She stated that the facts stated by the counsel were different from the facts of the prosecution and asked that bail be denied.
The magistrate remanded Noordwyk to prison. He will return to court on December 17 at the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.
