ONE more witness testified yesterday when the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the charges that followed the Army flagship drug bust continued before Magistrate Maxwell Edwards.

Seko Dickinson, an able rating in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard was led through evidence-in-chief by State Counsel Paula Gilford from the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions Office (DPP) and cross-examined by Defence Counsel Vic Puran.

In the case, Wayne Inniss, of Lot 130 Lamaha Springs, Georgetown and Shandy Stephens, of Lot 118 Dacama Circle, Mackenzie, Linden, are jointly charged with conspiracy to traffick 60 kilogrammes 681 grammes of Cannabis (marijuana) between May 1 and 11 this year.

Inniss alone faces a separate charge of trafficking the same amount of Marijuana by exporting it.

Dickinson was a member of the crew when the illegal drug was discovered aboard ‘GDFS Essequibo’ as the naval vessel docked in Barbados to participate in the Caribbean regional ‘Exercise Tradewinds’ in May.

Inniss and Stephens, who remain remanded prisoners, were dishonourably discharged from the GDF after an internal probe and handed over to Police for the criminal investigation.

The ex-soldiers were originally charged summarily but, last August 12, the DPP instituted the fresh charges and the others were put down sine die (indefinitely).