DEON Coates, a 35-year-old businessman, was remanded to prison yesterday after being arrested during a police raid lately with a quantity of firearms,ammunition and narcotics that were allegedly found in his bedroom.

Particulars of the charge alleged that on February 6 at his 5thAvenue Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara home, he had in his possession 13 grammes of marijuana. It is also alleged that on the same day, at the same location, he was found with a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver with three matching rounds, when he was not a licensed firearm holder.
According to the Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant, acting on a tip-off, a party of police ranks went to the defendant’s home and conducted a search in his presence and five other persons, who were also found in the house at the time of the search; they reportedly told the police that they were visiting.
Grant noted that when the articles were found in the defendant’s bedroom, Coates admitted to the police that the marijuana belonged to him, but denied being the owner of the gun and ammunition.
Coates’s Lawyer, Gordon Gilhuys, contended that the alleged articles were found in a storeroom, citing that even the prosecutor admitted that there were five other persons present in the house at the time.
The inspector objected to the businessman being allowed his pre-trial liberty, citing the nature, gravity and prevalence of the offence, plus the penalty if found guilty. He argued too that no special reasons that satisfied the court had been raised for bail.
Coates was granted $50,000 bail for the narcotics charge, but was remanded for the possession of arms and ammunition. He will make his second court appearance on Friday.