At the last hearing held on August 26, Attorney-at-Law Vic Puran had made preliminary arguments on behalf of his clients Wayne Inniss and Shandy Stephens, of Lot 130 Lamaha Springs, Georgetown and Lot 118 Dacama Circle, Mackenzie, Linden respectively. And yesterday, the prosecution, led by State Counsel Simone Ms Bullen and Ms Paula Gilford from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), replied to Puran's arguments.

The prosecution also called their first witness, Police Constable Patrick Carter, who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and attached to the Photographic Branch. Carter, who testified and then tendered photographs of the drug that was discovered, was then cross-examined by the Counsel for the defence.

Inniss and Stephens, who were dishonourably discharged from the Army, are jointly charged with conspiracy to traffic in cannabis (marijuana) between May 1 and May 11 of this year.

Inniss is also facing a separate charge of trafficking in the same amount of marijuana by exporting it.

On August 12, the DPP instituted two new charges against the defendants that are to be tried indictably, while the previous charges that were to be heard summarily are to be adjourned indefinitely. As such the men, who had previously pleaded 'not guilty', are no longer required to plead.

On the same day, they also appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen to answer additional charges of conspiracy to trafficking in narcotics and trafficking in narcotics.