Berbice chainsaw operator freed after Court dismisses ammunition charge

A chainsaw operator from Orealla Village, Corentyne River, has been acquitted of an ammunition possession charge after a Magistrate ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Rajiv Singh, called “Issac,” 36, had been on trial at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court for allegedly possessing 25 live 12-gauge shotgun cartridges without holding a valid firearm licence.

Singh was arrested on November 30, 2025, and formally charged on December 2, 2025, with possession of ammunition without a licence, contrary to Section 16(2)(a) of the Firearms Act.

He first appeared before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy at the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court on December 2, 2025, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge. Bail was initially refused, and he was remanded to prison. The matter was later transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court, and on December 18, 2025, Singh was granted $300,000 bail.

The case was repeatedly adjourned before all witness statements and exhibits were disclosed to the defence on March 24, 2026.

The trial was heard over several sessions between June 23 and July 9, 2026. During the proceedings, the prosecution presented evidence from six witnesses in an effort to prove its case.

Representing Singh, attorney Vinay Punwa challenged key aspects of the prosecution’s evidence. He argued that an oral statement allegedly made by his client was not given voluntarily and therefore should not be admitted by the court.

Punwa also objected to the admission of certain evidence, citing what he described as an inadequate evidential foundation and inconsistencies relating to the link between the accused and the ammunition.

The defence further questioned the investigative process, raising concerns that ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) involved in the operation were not equipped with body-worn cameras.

After hearing oral submissions from both the prosecution and the defence recently Magistrate Hardy ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

The charge against Singh was dismissed, bringing the case to an end.