Port Kaituma miner charged with drug possession, assault

Daniel Rodrigues, a 31-year-old miner from Port Kaituma in the North West District, was charged on Thursday with possession of narcotics and assault. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred the previous evening.

Rodrigues appeared via Zoom at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court from the Port Kaituma Police Station, where Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh presided. He pleaded guilty to both charges, leading to a fine of $20,000 for each offence or a month’s imprisonment per charge, amounting to a total of $40,000 or two months’ imprisonment if the fines are not paid.

On September 25, at approximately 20:20, Rodrigues and 22-year-old Anita Henry were consuming alcohol at the Port Kaituma waterfront when Henry left to visit her sister. Rodrigues, reportedly annoyed by her departure, followed her and assaulted her by slapping her face multiple times.

Following the incident, Henry reported the assault to the Port Kaituma Police Station. Authorities arrested Rodrigues, who was found in possession of a haversack containing twenty-seven zip-lock bags of cannabis, totalling 23.4 grams.