ROUSILLAC fisherman, Rennie Jagbandhansingh, 29, is expected to return to the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court tomorrow for sentencing, having pleaded guilty yesterday to offering a policeman $10,000 in bribe to forego another charge. Jagbandhansingh, of Grants Road, appeared in the Sixth Court before Magistrate Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds, who read the charge which occurred on July 21 last at Charles Street, La Romaine. The magistrate read that Jagbandhansingh did offer PC Donald Snaggs $10,000 to commit a breach of his duty, that is to say that he (Snaggs), a police officer, should forego prosecution against him (Jagbandhansingh) relative to a charge of marijuana possession for which the fisherman was arrested. The fisherman also appeared on a joint charge with Robert Bridgemohan, 42, for the possession of 6.2 grammes of marijuana. On both charges Jagbandhansingh pleaded guilty while Bridgemohan, of Dow Village, South Oropouche, pleaded not guilty to the marijuana possession. After the fishermen pleaded guilty, court prosecutor Sgt Parsan Ramsumair said that at about 4.50 pm on Monday, police searched a car at La Romaine in which Jagbandhansingh and another man were occupants. The officers found the marijuana on the floor of car and arrested the duo to which Jagbandhansingh said, “Boss give me a chance nah. Look, take this envelope, it has $10,000 in it.” The prosecutor told the court that PC Snaggs, of the Southern Division Task Force (SDTF), searched the envelope and saw the $10,000, all in $100 bills. When police cautioned Jagbandhansingh about the offence of offering a bribe to a policeman, Jagbandhansingh noted: “Let me go nah. I won’t say anything. It is $20,000, take all.” PC Snaggs slapped Jagbandhansingh with the two charges and Bridgemohan with one. During the hearing the fisherman wept openly. Attorney Jason Jackson, who represented Jagbandhansingh, said his client has been a fisherman for the past seven years, and was on his way to net 200 pounds of transparent fishing line at time of the arrest. The attorney said his client admitted that he was afraid and made a stupid mistake, “in the split of a second”. Attorney Jackson asked the magistrate not to impose a custodial sentence on his client adding that he pleaded guilty and did not waste judicial time. Noting that police criminal tracing system was not functional, Jackson added that his client was fined $750 by a Siparia magistrate in 2012 for marijuana possession. However the magistrate denied bail and remanded him into police custody saying she wanted to have his criminal records before she passes her sentence on him. She ordered that Jagbandhansingh reappear in court tomorrow when she would pass sentence. She granted Bridgemohan $10,000 surety bail and adjourned the case to August 19.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 11:37:05 +0000
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