A police officer found himself on the wrong side of the law yesterday, charged with the illegal possession of an AK-47 assault rifle and several rounds of ammunition.
Orin Samuels pleaded not guilty to the charges which stated on June 5, at Mahaica, he had in his possession thirty-seven 7.62 x3 rounds of ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence. It was further alleged that on the same day, he also had in his possession an AK-47 assault rifle without being the holder of a firearm licence.
According to the facts read in court, acting on information obtained by the police, the vehicle in which Samuels was travelling was stopped at a roadblock.
Samuels, along with other occupants of the vehicle, were ordered to exit so as to allow a search to be conducted. During the course of the search, the rifle and ammunition were discovered in a black haversack allegedly belonging to Samuels.
Prosecutor Bharat Mangru also indicated that the articles mentioned in the charge were not property of the Guyana Police Force.
Additionally, Mangru objected to bail being granted citing that special reasons had to be given. Having refused bail, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry subsequently transferred the matter to the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court for June 16.
