…while Joseph’s aiding and abetting charge dismissed
A couple who were busted in 2015, with a large quantity of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) while attempting to smuggle same on a flight bound for Canada, were this afternoon sentenced to 60 months imprisonment each and fined cumulatively $58 million.
Appearing before City Magistrate, Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court were Mahendra Ramsuchit and his spouse, Rohbina Basdeoram.
Their charge read that on January 30, 2016 at the Cheddi Jagan Internation Airport, Ramsuchit had in his possession 10.392 kilogrammes of cocaine, and Basdeoram was found with 10.968 kilogrammes of same, with both quantities being for the purpose of trafficking.
Magistrate Latchman today said that based on mitigating factors, the amount and street value of the drug, the organized manner in which it was executed and in order to prohibit others from committing the offence, she was sentencing the couple to 60 months in prison, each.
Ramsuchit was ordered to pay a fine of $28,580,400 while Basdeoram was slapped with a $29,613,600 fine.
Meanwhile, the trial of ex-Ministerial aide, Kenroy Joseph, of D’Andrade Street, Newtown, Kitty, came to an end today when Magistrate, Judy Latchman dismissed the charge which alleged that he aided and abetted Ramsuchit and Basdeoram to traffic a quantity of cocaine, on January 30, 2017, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
According to the prosecution’s case, Joseph, identifying himself as Kenneth Jones, helped the couple to pass through the VIP lounge of the airplane by presenting forged documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Airport Duty Office (ADO), stating that he was carrying out protocol duties for the two named individuals.
However, thorough security checks revealed the trio to be impostors.
The magistrate in her ruling today exonerated Joseph of the charge as the prosecution council had failed to present sufficient evidence to convict him highlighting that several witnesses during the trial, were unable to positively identify the man as the individual who aided the couple.
