THE La Jalousie businessman who is accused of masterminding the attempt to smuggle cocaine overseas concealed in a shipment of frozen shrimp appeared yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and was remanded to prison.Mohamed Ali, 51 years, resides at Lot 11 La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara with his wife and three children, and is engaged in the business of shipping seafood overseas.

It is alleged that on May 10 at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, Ali had in his possession 51.63 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The businessman strongly denied the allegation, and his lawyer Mr. Bernard Da Silva in his application for reasonable bail argued that the drug was not found in his client’s possession or was he around where the alleged drug was found by the police.

Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru told the court that on the day in question the businessman dispatched a shipment of 48 boxes of seafood to be taken to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport by his driver to be loaded onto a Caribbean Airlines flight when it is alleged that he made contact with the said driver at the airport and requested him to cancel the shipment and return back to base.

Mangru explained that ranks of the Guyana Police Force Narcotics Branch became suspicious and conducted a search on the boxes when the drug was found. The driver was questioned and when the shipment was examined ranks found a total of 48 parcels of cocaine lying in eight different boxes beneath the frozen shrimp.

After interrogation the businessman was arrested in connection with the drug find. However, the lawyer argued that his client is a man of ordinary means and does not possess the money to have financed the quantum of cocaine intercepted which would attract a $51million investment.

The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that while the drug was not found in the actual possession of the defendant, he had knowledge and control over the drug found.

The businessman was remanded to prison until May 28 when he will make his appearance at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.