Wednesday, September 26 2012

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Brothers Michael, left, and Mitra Seudathsingh are led in handcuffs to Chaguanas Magistrates\' Court to face marijuana trafficking charges....

TWO brothers arrested on Republic Day, yesterday appeared before a magistrate charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. One of them was jailed for two years with hard labour by a magistrate in the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court, for the crime.

Michael Seudathsingh, 26, who belongs to the Rastarfarian faith, said that he used the drugs for religious purposes. Elder brother Mitra Seudathsingh, 35, who pleaded not guilty to the charge was placed on bail with surety in the sum of $5,000.

The siblings were charged jointly by Cpl Ken Ali of the Chaguanas Task Force.

The brothers appeared before Senior Magistrate Gillian Scotland, and after Seudathsingh (Michael) pleaded guilty, the police court prosecutor Sgt Michael Jackman, said that at about 1.30 pm on Monday, police officers went to a house at California Drive, Western Avenue, Chaguanas, with a search warrant. Jackman said the house was locked at the time, so police officers left, but they returned later in the day and conducted a search of the premises.

Jackman said that on a wooden table in the living room of the house, there were three plastic packets, and branches from a marijuana tree. Marijuana seeds were found. In another room in the house, 20 packets containing more seeds and three branches with marijuana leaves were discovered. Police officers then uprooted 40 trees behind the house. The marijuana all together weighed a total of 1,450 grammes.

Attorney Orrin Kerr who represented the brothers, said that Michael has a love for History, but he (Michael) however, seems to be misguided.

“He feels that marijuana is part of his religious practice as a Rastarfarian,” the attorney said. And whilst Michael does not sell, or traffic the drugs, the attorney added, he sometimes uses it for his personal consumption.

“But I told him it is against the law in Trinidad and Tobago, and by his conduct, he has also caused his brother to be before the court,” Kerr said.

Scotland said that she took into consideration Michael’s guilty plea, but said that the quantity was a lot, and were in different forms of packaging. The exhibit was ordered to be destroyed.

Michael was taken away by police officers to begin his jail sentence, while his brother would reappear on October 23.