Georgetown: Self-confessed and convicted drug lord, Barry Dataram and his common law wife, Anjanie Boodnarine appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, charged with forging a Guyanese passport, absconding the law and illegal departure from Guyana.
The couple was handed over to the SWAT Unit of the Guyana Police Force at Moleson Creek, Upper Corentyne, East Berbice on Saturday last, hours after they were caught in neighbouring Suriname.
Dataram pleaded guilty to all the charges while Boodnarine pleaded not guilty. She was refused bail and remanded to prison until October 31.
The drug lord was on September 27, found guilty by Magistrate Judy Latchman of being in possession of a quantity of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking; but prior to the magistrate handing down her decision, Dataram and Boodnarine fled the jurisdiction while on bail.
Boodnarine was found not guilty of the cocaine charges. In his absence, he was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and fined one hundred and sixty-four million, two hundred and sixty- eight dollars (Gy$164,268,000).
Dataram was sentenced to 12 months in jail for the forgery offense; 12 months for not presenting himself to an immigration officer and two years for attempting to defeat the administration of the law by leaving the country during his cocaine trial. The sentences will run consecutively, meaning that in addition to his current five years imprisonment for drug trafficking, Dataram will spend an additional four years in jail.
Meanwhile, the charges read to the duo separately alleged that between September 20 and October 15, 2016, Dataram and his spouse attempted to default the administration of law to avoid the consequences of the matter they had before the court. It is further alleged that between April 15, 2013 to October 15, 2016 at Camp Street Georgetown with intent to commit a felony, he conspired with others, to forge one passport in favour of himself purporting showing same to be issued by the Central Immigration and Passport Office. The duo was also charged with illegal departure, which stated that on September 20, at Springlands they departed Guyana without presenting themselves to an Immigration Office. Boodnarine was also charged with forgery of a Guyana Passport.
The facts presented by police persecutor Neville Jeffers stated that Dataram was arrested and charged for the possession of narcotics by the Criminal Investigation Unit. During the trial Dataram absconded before the trial was completed and he was sentenced in his absence.
According to the prosecutor on September 20, 2016 Dataram departed Guyana for Suriname via back track route at Springlands. He was subsequently arrested by the Suriname authorities and handed over to the police at Springlands. An investigation was conducted at the Central Immigration office which showed that the defendant departed Guyana illegally, since there is no record of him leaving Guyana. However the prosecutor objected to bail for Boodnarine, on the grounds that she was a flight risk. Magistrate McLennan did not grant Boodnarine bail, the magistrate stated that the defendant is indeed a flight risk and on the grounds she was remanded.
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