Convicted drug trafficker gets $200,000 bail pending appeal hearing

A MOTHER of four was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $4.5M after she was found guilty by Magistrate Alex Moore for being in possession of 14,446 grams of cannabis sativa at her home at Lot 42 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice.
She was however granted bail days later, pending an appeal hearing. Following a bail petition at the Berbice High Court, Rosalin Fernandes was granted $200,000 bail. Fernandes, 38, had been given an additional six months after she was also found guilty of being in possession of 22 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Police Corporal Winston Poliah had led the evidence of Lance Corporal 22436 George of the serious crime unit. On November 15, 2016, the policeman had led a party of ranks to Lot 42 Stanleytown, the home of the defendant, after they received pertinent information. A search was conducted by Constable 20974 Beaton who found a peach-coloured plastic bag which contained 12 ziplock bags under a board in the vicinity of the bathroom. The contents were a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis sativa,which when weighed amounted to 22 grams.
Further, checks were made and the policeman found 19 other plastic bags containing parts of the ganja plant, which was unearthed in the back bedroom on the lower storey. The discovery was made in the presence of the defendant. After being told of the offence, and was cautioned, the defendant said, ‘Officer please for a chance nuh, I got four children. Me husband bring the weed from the creek. I does sell the weed to support dem children.”
Initially, following the police arrest, the defendant had admitted having the 22 grams of cannabis sativa in her possession for the purpose of trafficking and had denied the greater amount. However, at her trial, she had pleaded not guilty to both counts of trafficking in narcotics.

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