Former Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Devin Sears has been remanded to prison after pleading not guilty to a charge of drug trafficking.
His co-accused, Albert Sandy, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment after admitting to the offence.
The two men were intercepted on Monday while transporting more than 680 pounds of marijuana.
They appeared before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool at Linden Magistrate’s Court this morning to answer the charge.
Sandy, a 69-year-old farmer from Tacama Waterfront, pleaded guilty while Sears, 39, pleaded not guilty.
Sears’ attorney, Nigel Hughes, applied for bail, arguing that his client posed no flight risk. However, the prosecution strongly objected, citing the gravity of the offence. Sears was also represented by Bernard DaSilva.
The magistrate subsequently denied bail and ordered that Sears be remanded to prison until November 11.
It was reported that at around 20:41hrs on Monday, a team of police officers intercepted a bus at the Old Bamia Police Checkpoint in Linden, Region Ten.
The vehicle is the property of the Region Ten Tourism Committee Inc., for which Sears was the Vice Chairman; he has since resigned from the position.
At the time of the interception, Sears was driving the vehicle with Sandy as the lone passenger.
Police had reported that upon stopping the vehicle, Sears began acting in a suspicious manner, prompting the ranks inquire what they were transporting.
Sears reportedly told the officers that “I am transporting tourism plants.”
An officer then instructed Sears to pull over and then informed him that a search would be conducted on the vehicle.
During the search, police uncovered 22 plastic bags and four canvas bags, which, when searched, turned out to be marijuana.
Both men were told of the offence, arrested, and cautioned.
Police said Sears remained silent, while Sandy admitted ownership, stating that the narcotics belonged to him and that he had paid the AFC member to transport him to Parika.
Sears is an active member of the AFC. In a statement following his arrest, the party said it extends its support to Sears.
Sears’ attorney was the party’s leader and presidential candidate for the recently-concluded elections. After the AFC’s crushing defeat at the polls, Hughes resigned as leader and was replaced by David Patterson, who is now interim leader.
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