MAGISTRATE Krishendat Persaud, on Tuesday, found Anaka Hentzen not guilty of trafficking one kilogramme 40 grammes of cocaine.
The charge against the woman said she had committed the offence while she was an outgoing passenger at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, where the narcotic was found in another woman’s suitcase.
Five witnesses had testified for the Prosecution in the case at Springlands Court, Corentyne, Berbice.
Evidence revealed that, prior to last June 26, Hentzen had gone to the market at Skeldon, Corentyne, where she purchased two tins each of concentrated mauby and passion fruit.
Her ex-mother-in-law, Shirley Yorrick, who is visiting from New York was in Hentzen’s home village, Corriverton, also at Corentyne, when the latter sent her son to deliver the merchandise to the visitor.
But the juice was collected by Sharon Welcome, daughter of the overseas-based Guyanese, who told the court she placed the goods in her mother’s suitcase.
However, while she was an outgoing passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, Yorrick was monitored on the airport scanner by Sergeant Letitia Wilson, whose suspicion was aroused by Yorrick’s bag, which, when opened, contained, among other things, two tins labelled ‘mauby concentrate’ and ‘passion fruit’.
Initially, Yorrick admitted that she bought the liquids but, when the tins were opened in her presence, a plastic bag containing cocaine was unearthed. She then denied ownership of the contents.
Following the discovery, ranks at Springlands Police Station were dispatched to Line Path, Skeldon home of Hentzen, who showed them the two remaining tins, which were opened in her presence and contained juices.
In his submissions, Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud pointed out that Hentzen never delivered the cans to her ex-mother-in-law but sent them with her son.
The lawyer questioned why was the defendant’s son not charged jointly with her, as the chain of custody of the cans, which was, admittedly, being sent, was broken as she had no knowledge of the fate of the cans after they left her home.
The evidence further revealed that Yorrick, who had possession of the cans, did not see them at her home, as it was her daughter who packed them into the suitcase.
The top of the tins, which were placed in the suitcase, had writings but those shown to the defendant, at Eve Leary, in Georgetown, where she was interrogated, had no markings, counsel contended.
He maintained that there was no nexus between the two cans which were produced in court and those the defendant said she sent to Yorrick.
Consequently, defence counsel asked, after the verdict, that reasonable compensation be paid to the freed woman, for what he deemed malicious prosecution.