– not to mess with a no-nonsense cop

PRINCIPAL Magistrate Judy Latchman on Monday remanded a 27-year-old shop owner to prison for allegedly offering to bribe an officer to ‘duck’ a drug trafficking charge against him.

Christopher Gonsalves made his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Particulars of the first charge allege that Gonsalves, on October 3, 2018 at Albouystown, had 530 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

It is alleged that when Gonsalves was arrested the same day and taken to the Brickdam Police Station, he attempted to obstruct or pervert the course of justice by offering the investigating rank, Sergeant George, $150,000 to drop the matter.

According to reports, Gonsalves was arrested during a sting operation whereby ranks went undercover and attempted to purchase the cannabis from him.

It is alleged that when the order was placed, Gonsalves left the shop on his motorcycle and came back with a bulky black plastic bag with the weed inside it, and was promptly arrested.

Police Prosecutor Quinn Harris objected to Gonsalves being granted bail for one charge because of the seriousness of it, whereby he was remanded to prison, but approved of the $200,000 bail for the other.

The matter has been adjourned until November 5.