A Vincentian national who was caught with $26, 000.00 in his possession has been remanded to the Richmond Hill Prison after a charge of money laundering was slapped on him.
The suspect, 20-year-old Pavel Patterson was charged by police following his arrest Sunday on the sister isle of Carriacou.
A police source told THE NEW TODAY that police discovered the money on Patterson in his back pack, shortly after disembarking the Osprey ferry.
The suspect appeared unrepresented at the St. George’s No. 2 Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, before Magistrate Tahira Gellineau, who took the decision to remand him to prison due to strong objection by Police Prosecutor 539 Bing Joseph who expressed fears that the non-national might abscond if bail was granted to him.
However, Patterson, in his own defense told the court that he has papers with an “indefinite stay stamp” on it, which he received in “Carriacou” where he has been living for the last “two (2) years.”
The accused also informed the court that he has a baby on the way, which is expected next month.
The Police Prosecution team told the court that they had no knowledge of the information provided by Patterson and that the matter is scheduled for hearing in the Northern District and requested that Patterson be remanded to prison until April 15, which is when the Carriacou court is due to have its next sitting.
Information reaching THE NEW TODAY is that the Vincentian was spotted by law men acting very suspiciously as he boarded the Osprey on the Mainland for the sister isle on Sunday.
When the suspect spotted reporters with cameras attempting to take his photograph outside the court, he quickly raised his handcuffed hands and used the documents he was carrying to hide his face.
