Duo in hot water over alleged attempt to bribe CANU rank
Two men, one of whom is charged for conspiring back in 2016 to trafficking 48 kilograms of cocaine concealed in plywood, are in hot water after they allegedly attempted to bribe an officer attached to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).
The men have been identified as Rajesh Kissoondyal, called “Paddle”, 47, of Lot 12 South Section Canal Number 12 Polder, West Bank Demerara, and Shamkumar Hariprashad, 38, of Lot 67 Alliance, Canal Number 12 Polder.
Kissoondyal was hauled in for questioning in connection with the drug find two years ago at Lot 37 Yarrowkabra, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, East Bank Demerara. He was arrested by CANU ranks while at a funeral last week. However, while in custody, it is alleged that he, along with Hariprashad, made the offer to the anti-narcotics agent for the former’s release.
They were both charged for attempting to pervert the administration of the law and arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.
The charge stated that the defendants on January 5, 2018 at Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, with intent to pervert the administration of the law under the Provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, Chapter 10:10 offered CANU Officer Lyndon Thompson the sum of G$1, 495,000 for the release of Kissoondyal, who was in custody pending an investigation into a trafficking narcotics allegation.
They were both remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and were scheduled to return to court on January 25, 2018.
Meanwhile, Kissoondyal was additionally slapped with the offence of facilitating the trafficking. He is being accused of knowingly or having reason to believe that between April 1, 2016 and April 21, 2016, he handled parcels, packages or other things, that is to say, sheets of plywood containing narcotics – 48.554 kilograms of cocaine – with a view of procuring the commissioning of trafficking in the said narcotic. The 47-year-old man was remanded to prison following his arraignment by Magistrate McLennan. He will also return to court on January 25 on this offence.
In court, Kissoondyal’s and Hariprashad’s Attorneys made unsuccessful bail applications.
The almost 50 kilograms of cocaine was unearthed on April 20, 2016, when agents from the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Drug Enforcement Unit, along with the Port Control Unit, were examining the consignment of plywood at Yarrowkabra. The consignment of 5/8 inch plywood was destined for Florida, USA.
It was reported that during the examination process, anomalies were detected; hence, a decision was taken to search individual sheets of plywood, 320 in total. Upon checking, the cocaine was stashed in neatly carved holes in the plywood.
The GRA officials had become suspicious of the contents of the consignment based on the behaviour displayed by the consignee’s representatives during the examination process. The men were reportedly trying to hurry up the examination process, claiming that they needed to get the shipment out as soon as possible.
