An application filed on behalf of alleged drug trafficker Royston Peniston for him to be released on bail pending his trial was refused by High Court Judge Jo Ann Barlow on Wednesday.
This is according to a statement by the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) which provided no other details on the in-chamber bail petition hearing.
About two weeks ago, Peniston, 44, of Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on a drug trafficking charge.
As such, his counsel filed a bail application at the High Court in Demerara.
Particulars of the charge stated that on March 3, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, he had 2.178 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
After denying the charge, he was refused bail and remanded to prison by the magistrate.
Peniston called “Fat Joe” is the owner of the popular Blue Iguana Night Club in Alberttown, Georgetown. According to CANU, the drug has a street value of $2.1 million.
On the day in question, CANU ranks swooped down on the businessman’s property at Festival City where they intercepted him with two hardcover suitcases in his possession. A subsequent search of the suitcases in his presence revealed a quantity of whitish powdery substance suspected to be cocaine. As such, Peniston was arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters.
He will make another court appearance before the magistrate on April 3.
