St Joseph man freed of drug-trafficking charges

A MARACAS, St Joseph, man was acquitted of trafficking cocaine and possession of a gun at his second trial.

Nicholas Sookoo was before Justice Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo on trial and was found not guilty by a nine-member jury which deliberated for about two hours at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, on Monday.

It was Sookoo’s second trial. At his first, in April 2014, the jury failed to arrive at a verdict.

The prosecution had alleged that Sookoo had 20 kilogrammes of cocaine and a semi-automatic pistol in his car.

He had allegedly been chased by police along the Western Main Road, Cocorite, to Ana Street, Woodbrook, by constables Dillon Constantine and Kurt Sorzano before the police found the drugs in the trunk.

He was with his girlfriend and Ryan Charles, who was gunned down in Maracas, St Joseph, in 2016.

Charles tried to run but was caught.

The State alleged that both Sookoo and Charles, at the time of their arrest, admitted to knowing about the drugs.

In his defence, Sookoo, who was represented by attorneys Kelston Pope and Devvon Williams, said he was “pulling bull” and Charles hired him to go to Chaguaramas. He said he did not see what Charles put in his trunk, nor did he check.

Representing the prosecution were State attorneys Norma Peters and Danielle Thompson.