Gordon Rohlehr, called ‘Major’, who was sentenced to three years imprisonment , and fined $30,000 after he was found guilty of trafficking in three grammes of cocaine at his home at Smythfield, New Amsterdam, Berbice, last December , was granted $150,000 bail pending an appeal hearing. Chief Justice Ian Chang, allowed the liberty following a bail petition by Attorney at law Peter Hugh in the High Court, last Friday .
On December last, Magistrate Omeyena Hamlinton, had imposed the custodial penalty after which Rohlehr’s other lawyer, Mursulene Bacchus, indicated that an appeal had been filed, and thereafter requested bail; but the application was denied.
Rohlehr was nabbed following a planned narcotic operation, headed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Ian Amsterdam, on July 11, 2008.
In his evidence, Amsterdam revealed, after receiving certain information, that he had marked two $100 bills and five $20 bills with his initials, prior to making an entry in the diary, at Central Police Station.
The money he explained, was to be used in a planned narcotic raid at the defendant’s home.
In company with Detective Constable 18380 Reynolds, the witness said, he met a young man who agreed to act as a decoy, and, following discussions, the marked money was given to him.
Amsterdam said at 23:15hrs he secured himself being a parked car adjacent to Rohlehr’s residence, where he observed persons accessing the stairway and the defendant’s activities on his verandah.
The decoy spoke to the defendant, handed him the money for the narcotic, before switching places with Detective Reynolds, in whose hand Rohlehr placed the cocaine.
After alerting the occupants of the presence of  the police , the defendant’s wardrobe was searched and the marked money was found.
Rohlehr was arrested and taken to Central Police Station.