THE trial of a 26-year-old Alberttown businessman, who is accused of selling the date-rape drug, ecstasy, to an under-aged boy and of having drugs in his possession, continued on Thursday, July 18, 2019, before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Darrel John, who is currently out on $170,000 bail for the two charges was represented by attorney-at-law, George Thomas. The state was represented by Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) prosecutor, Narissa Leander.

Particulars of the first charge stated that John, between December 1, 2017, and January 31, 2018, at Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, sold ecstasy to an under-aged child.
It was also alleged that, on February 12, 2018, at Lot 141 Alberttown, John had two grams of ecstasy in his possession.

According to reports, the child was held with the drug, and, when the matter was reported, a raid was conducted at John’s home and ecstasy was found in his bedroom.
On Thursday, the Magistrate explained that she would be relying on the evidence of a drug analyst who testified during the trial.

John’s attorney had contended that ecstasy is made up of methylenedioxymethamphetamine and not an amphetamine which is illegal under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of Guyana.

However, the analyst revealed that ecstasy is made up of several compounds including amphetamine.

Magistrate Daly adjourned the matter until July 22, 2019, for the prosecutor to report to the court how much amphetamine was in the two grams of ecstasy John allegedly had in his possession.