TWO of the soldiers implicated in the drug bust aboard the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) flagship ‘GDFS Essequibo’ have been remanded after appearing in court charged with narcotic trafficking.
Following their dishonourable discharge from the Army earlier this week, Wayne Inniss, of Lot 130 Lamaha Springs, Georgetown, and Shandy Stephens, of Lot 118 Dacama Circle, Mackenzie, Linden, appeared before Principal Magistrate Cecil Sullivan yesterday.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to traffick 60 kilogrammes, 681 grammes of cannabis (marijuana) between May 1 and 11 this year.
Inniss, said to be the mastermind, is also facing a separate charge of trafficking in the same 60 kilogrammes 681 grammes by exporting the amount.
Attorney-at-law Mr Vic Puran, who entered appearance on behalf of the remanded prisoners, asked that they be placed under special watch while in jail.
The magistrate granted the request after Defence Counsel said it was based on the soldiers’ role as law enforcement officers.
Inniss and Stephens aare scheduled to be back in Court on July 21.
The duo were handed over to Police after a probe that followed the discovery of the prohibited substance on board the military vessel on May 13 when it docked in Barbados to participate in ‘Exercise Tradewinds’.
Errol Wilburg, a third army rank implicated in the bust, was dismissed after being tried in-house by the Coast Guard.
The three were reduced in ranking and subsequently dismissed from the Coast Guard, Inniss with dishonour.
The GDFS Essequibo set sail from Guyana on May 12 to take part in Exercise Tradewind 2003.