Retrial ordered for Caroni man on drug trafficking charge

A retrial has been ordered for a Caroni man who was charged with trafficking 32 kilogrammes of marijuana in 2006.

On April 25, Justice Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo ordered a fresh trial for the accused after jurors were unable to arrive at a unanimous verdict. They were divided five/four and the judge said the division was not enough to accept as a majority verdict, which is allowed in non-capital cases.

It was alleged that on December 9, 2006, officers stopped a driver and his passenger during a roadblock in Chatham and allegedly found two crocus bags which contained several packets of marijuana.

The men were arrested and taken to the Point Fortin police station.

In his defence, the man claimed he was a PH driver and was taking a passenger to Chatham but did not know what was in the crocus bags.

He was represented by attorney Roshan Tota-Maharaj while the State was represented by Taterani Seecharan, Dylan Martin and Niara Boodan.