Siblings, labourer charged for bribing cop, trafficking marijuana

A 38-year-old teacher, who Police said attempted to bribe a cop with $280,000 in order to release her brother arrested for trafficking marijuana, was on Friday charged.

Seeranie Rameshwar, a teacher attached to Patentia Primary School and of Schoonard, West Bank Demerara (WBD) denied the charge when she appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Wales Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that on June 21, at Parfaite Harmonie Police Station, she attempted to obstruct the course of justice by offering a Policeman $280,000, to forgo a charge for the offence of trafficking in narcotics against her brother.

Rameshwar was granted $200,000 bail.

Meanwhile, her brother, 32-year-old Davanand Rambarran, of Vriesland, Wales, WBD and Nicholas Osborne, 25, a labourer of Sister’s Village, WBD were charged for trafficking 481 grammes of marijuana.

They also appeared before the said magistrate. Rambarran, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Bernard DaSilva, and Osborne were each released on $300,000 bail after pleading not guilty to the charge.

The trio is expected to make their next court appearance in July.

On the day in question, at around 13:00 hrs, Police ranks acting on information, went to Wales Public Road, WBD where they observed Osborne, sitting on a bicycle in the vicinity of the Wales Police Station.

As the ranks continued to observe, they saw motor car PAB 228  which was at the time driven by Rambarran, who was the lone occupant, drove up alongside Osborne. Rambarran then handed Osborne a black bulky plastic bag before he drove off.

Osborne kept possession of the bulky plastic bag and rode off on his bicycle in the direction of the Police ranks. He was then pursued by the ranks and apprehended along with the black bulky plastic bag.

The bag was opened in his presence and found to contain a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis.

Police then carried out a search on Osborne and found a gun in his waist. Osbourne, along with the illegal drug, and suspected firearm were taken to the Wales Police Station.

The ranks then went to the home of Rambarran. While there, they contacted him and told him of the offence committed. At the station, the suspected cannabis was weighed by the Police in the presence of Rambarran and Osborne and amounted to 481 grammes.

Both of them were then arrested and escorted to the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station, where they were placed into custody.

On the very date, at about 14:35 hours, Rambarran’s sister went to the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station, where she contacted a Police rank, in the presence of another rank, and offered him $300,000 to forgo charges against her brother.

The rank then informed his superior about Rameshwar’s intention. The woman then went into the Criminal Investigations Department at Parfaite Harmonie Police Station and when she handed over the sum of money to the rank, she was arrested by a female rank.

She was told of the offence, cautioned, and placed into custody.