Racers, former drug enforcement officer profess innocence in cocaine trial
-decision set for January 24
Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool is expected to deliver her ruling in the case against alleged drug traffickers Stephen Vieira, Tazim Gafoor, Nazim Gafoor and Sherwayne De Abreu, on January 24, 2019.
She made the disclosure yesterday following unsworn statements made by the Gafoors and De Abreu, who, along with Vieira, were charged with having 84.9 kilogrammes of cocaine in their possession between March 1 and May 12, 2017 at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, for the purpose of trafficking. The cocaine was reportedly stashed in lumber at a sawmill at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo, which belonged to Narine Lall, who is still wanted.
Magistrate Liverpool had, however, noted that because she will be moving to a different jurisdiction in the New Year, the date for the ruling is tentative.
Meanwhile, De Abreu, a former Drug Enforcement Officer (DEO) attached to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), in his unsworn testimony, told the court that he had never met Hakeem Mohamed prior to him visiting the GRA office on May 11, 2017.
Mohamed has been a key witness for the prosecution in the case against the men, and had even testified to having assisted Tazim Gafoor to pack the parceled cocaine in the dressed lumber which was to be exported to the US.
The former DEO also denied knowing Narine Lall, as well as claims that he had visited Lall’s sawmill at Parika where he met Lall and Tazim Gafoor.
“On May 11, 2017, I was assigned by my supervisor to conduct an inspection on a consignment of lumber which was to be exported by Narine Lall at the GNIC Wharf. On May 12, 2017, I, along with four other officers inspected a consignment of lumber which was to be exported by Narine Lall. The inspection stopped after we received information that the truck, which was transporting the second set of lumber, had encountered mechanical problems,” De Abreu said.
“I have no knowledge of any cocaine being concealed in wood and I never made any arrangements with persons to traffic cocaine,” he added.
De Abreu also took the opportunity to state his achievements as a DEO, a position he held for six years prior to being implicated in the drug trafficking scheme.
“During the period I worked at GRA as drug enforcement officer I had the most seizure of drugs which was more than any other officer… I also made several arrests during the course of my career,” he told the court.
Exercising his right to call a witness, De Abreu called upon Manager of the Drug Enforcement Unit Fabian Stuart, who also testified to his employment record while at GRA.
“De Abreu was undoubtedly one of the most successful officers of the unit and was responsible for over 90 of the seizures. On 11 May, 2017, he was assigned by the booking officer responsible for assigning officers for examination of exports. The inspection was done jointly with two officers from the Port Control Unit, who had expressed interest in examining the cargo,” Stuart said.
Tazim Gafoor also claimed that he had no knowledge of who Hakeem Mohamed was prior to being arrested in relation to the drug trafficking charge.
He told the court that he had met Hakeem Mohamed for the first time during their initial incarceration at the Diamond Police Station, shortly after the drugs had been discovered. It was during this period that Tazim alleges that he had several conversations with the man, which included but were not limited to the allegations against them.
“He asked me if I know Lall and I said no, why? He said because he never see me by Lall sawmill or with Lall anywhere so how come I get hold for this story,” the elder Gafoor said.
Further to this, was Gafoors’ claim that Mohamed was scared of what was going to happen to him and had even said he is willing to do or say anything to get himself out of situation because he knew that Lall was the guilty one.
Tazim also told the court that when he visited CANU’s Headquarters one week after, he saw Mohamed again and was then told him he would have a confrontation with him.
“I was so surprised that I was having the confrontation with Hakeem Mohamed. In the confrontation Hakeem said somethings that we talked about in the lock up; I was so upset and angry at the time and I said somebody paid him or programmed him to lie. Then I realized what he said to me in the lock ups about doing or saying anything to save himself,” the accused said.
“Your worship I know nothing and I have no knowledge of this charge. I am innocent of this charge and that the truth and nothing but the truth,” he added.
Similar sentiments were shared by his son Nazim Gafoor, who said his first interaction with Mohamed was during his visit to CANU’s Headquarters.
“I must say that I am innocent of this matter; the first time I saw Hakeem Mohamed was at CANU, I never assisted him in trafficking cocaine, I have no knowledge of cocaine in wood,” the young man told the court.
Vieira had proclaimed his innocence in court on Tuesday.
“I would also like to mention that CANU officers say I was driving a pit-bull bus carrying narcotics but at the time they say I was doing this— I was at home, I have pictures in my phone with time stamps showing I was at home,” Nazim added.
Neither of the two men called witnesses in their defence.