Lawyer withdraws appearance for absent Dataram, wife

With self-professed drug trafficker Barry Dataram and his common-law wife Anjanie Boodnarine once again failing to appear for a key ruling in their trial for cocaine trafficking, their lawyer yesterday told the trial magistrate that he was no longer representing them.

Dataram, Boodnarine, Kevin Charran, and Trevor Gouveia are currently on trial for possession of 129.230 kilogrammes of cocaine (equivalent to 284 pounds) found on April 16th, 2015 at the Lot 661 Silver Dam, Fourth Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme house owned by Dataram.

Magistrate Judy Latchman had issued arrest warrants at the previous hearing after Dataram and Boodnarine failed to appear. The magistrate had been due to deliver her decision on whether a case had been made out against the quartet that would require a defence.

Barry Dataram
Barry Dataram
Anjanie Boodnarine
Anjanie Boodnarine

When the case was called yesterday, it was made clear that the arrest warrants issued by Magistrate Latchman for Dataram and Boodnarine were not served after neither could be located.

As a result, Magistrate Latchman also granted Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson permission to have summons written and a notice to bailers issued regarding the forfeiture of the sums posted for the release of the two accused. Dataram had been granted his release on $3 million bail, while Boodnarine was granted her release on $1.2 million bail. Both warrants were tendered and entered into evidence at the request of the CANU prosecutor.

Attorney Glenn Hanoman, who previously appeared on behalf of all four defendants, withdrew his appearance for the absentee couple.

The magistrate once again withheld her decision in the trial, which she adjourned to September 27th.