A man was on Friday sentenced to three years in jail after he admitted to having possession of a bag with cannabis, which he said he thought was achar.
The charge against Robert Baijnauth states that on March 6th, 2019, at Charlestown, he had 12 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking in his possession. Baijnauth pleaded not guilty to the charge, which was read to him by Magistrate Leron Daly in Georgetown. However, based on his explanation to the court, Baijnauth was found guilty and sentenced. Baijnauth told the court that he found a plastic bag at the corner of a road with the cannabis inside and thought that it was achar, so he picked it up. According to the police’s case, ranks were on patrol in the area when they saw Baijnauth acting in a suspicious manner and they searched him and found the suspected cannabis in a plastic bag which was in a haversack. Baijnauth was then arrested and admitted to possession of the narcotic when the allegation was put to him.
In addition to the three-year sentence, Magistrate Daly also fined Baijnauth $30,000.
