Bail for minister's relative allegedly found with drugs

THE nephew of a government minister has been charged with possession of marijuana for trafficking. Michael Gopee, 33, of Guapo, Point Fortin, who is out on bail on charges laid in 2023, appeared before Master Shabanna Shah on August 6. He was granted $200,000 bail with surety and ordered to report to the police station every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Gopee, the nephew of Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, was represented by Keron Ramkhalwhan. He was held on August 3 by officers of the Central Division Task Force close to Flower Pot Beach in Pointe-a-Pierre. Police alleged officers received information from the command centre of a car transporting narcotics and just before 1 pm, spotted the vehicle. The car’s occupant was stopped and the car was searched.

Police allegedly found two packets of marijuana in the trunk under a welding machine. The drugs allegedly weighed 1,057 grammes.

In 2023, Gopee appeared at the Couva Magistrates’ Court on nine criminal charges for possession of 60 rounds of .56 ammunition and seven rounds of 9 mm ammunition, possession of two firearm components and six counts of threatening to kill police officers. In his bail application before Shah, Ramkhalwhan referred to a statement Gopee gave a day after he was held.

He claimed no drugs were found in the car and police took him to a location he did not know before he was charged.

He also claimed money he had in his car was taken from him. Ramkhalwhan relied on the statement to argue there were exceptional circumstances for the grant of bail. Gopee will return to court on September 4 when he will appear before a San Fernando magistrate.