Quincy Lawrence Gonzales, a 48-year-old painter of Lot 14, Republic Drive, Beterverwagting (BV), East Coast Demerara (ECD), was remanded to prison last week, after appearing before Chief Magistrate (ag) Faith Mc Gusty in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Gonzales was charged with possession of 371 grammes of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, an alleged offence committed on January 21, 2025, on Water Street, Georgetown.
The prosecution alleged that the police, upon receiving information that a person was trafficking a quantity of marijuana in the Water Street, Georgetown area, acted upon such.
The police, upon arriving, said they observed Gonzales fleeing with a bag. After a chase by police, Gonzales was apprehended and the bag was found to contain marijuana, according to the police.
Gonzales’ defence was that he had been out shopping at the market and ran because other people were running. He claimed that as the police came to him, a bag had been lying on the ground, with which the police mistakenly associated him.
Gonzales denied ownership of the marijuana or the bag, arguing that he was not in possession of it at the time of his arrest.
The prosecution objected to bail, highlighting the seriousness of the offence and the large amount of marijuana seized.
It was submitted that Gonzales was found with the said bag in his possession.Magistrate Mc Gusty asked Gonzales if he had any previous problems with any of the police officers who arrested him, and he answered no.
When asked why anybody would want to set him up, Gonzales said, “Somebody might have to take the blame.” Unrepresented by an attorney, Gonzales was remanded to prison as his bail application was denied. He is expected to return to court on February 7, 2025, for continuation.
