By Alexander Bruzual Friday, August 21 2009

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ACCUSED: Chinese national, Jun Lean Chen, charged with possession of three rounds of 9 mm ammunition, leaves the court yesterday. ...

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A Chinese National’s guilty plea to ammunition possession was changed yesterday by a Port-of-Spain Magistrate who continued to highlight the peculiar circumstances of the case.

Jun Lean Chen, a businesswoman of Hillsborough in Maraval, was initially brought before Magistrate Avason Quinlan in the 4B court on Wednesday, charged for the possession of three rounds of nine millimetre ammunition.

She pleaded guilty.

However when she returned before the court yesterday for sentencing, Quinlan once again questioned how the Chinese national, who could not read or write English, was granted a firearm user’s licence 11 years ago.

The Magistrate was also concerned about the charge raised against Chen, questioning how the Chinese national was charged with possession, when she had a firearm users licence.

Quinlan explained the presence of the licence should have led the officers to charge Chen with having an excess amount of ammunition for a licenced firearm, instead.

Upon questioning by the magistrate, Police prosecutor, Sgt Winston Dillon informed the court he too was not in agreement with the charge brought against the accused.

After much deliberation, Quinlan explained to the court that she was not in a position to accept the charge, and she advised the complainant, Sgt Gorkings Samuel, to seek directions from the Acting Director of Public Prosecution, Carla Brown-Antoine.

She then proceeded, with consent, to change Chen’s plea in the matter to ‘‘Not Guilty’’.

However the magistrate was still visibly concerned on how the Chinese national was able to obtain the license.

“How is it that persons who put their life on the line every day in the course of their duty cannot get a firearm license, yet a foreign national who cannot even read or write English is able to obtain one?” Quinlan asked.

She said the situation raised a lot of issues which would need immediate attention.

The matter was then adjourned to September 3.

Chen was issued a firearm user license in 1998, which was continuously renewed up until 2006, despite her inability to speak English.

After a two-year stay in Canada, she attempted to renew her license last October and register her nine-millimetre semi-automatic pistol and 28 rounds of ammunition.

However the law only permits licence holders to posses 25 rounds.

Stemming from investigations from this incident, she was recently charged by way of summons for the extra three rounds.