Police officer Ronnie Sahadeo, for whom a warrant was issued last week, was arrested in the San Fernando High Court yesterday when he appeared on a charge of assault and larceny before Justice Gillian Lucky in the Third Criminal Court.
The suspended cop is the fifth member of the Sahadeo family of Contention Road, Princes Town, to be arrested in connection with possession of 98 rounds of assorted ammunition and $2 million worth of cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
The items were allegedly found at the family's home on April 15.
Four other members of Ronnie's family, including his brother, suspended police officer Steve Sahadeo, appeared before Princes Town magistrate Debra Quintyne last Friday and were granted bail.
Steve Sahadeo is also on suspension pending the outcome of a charge of misbehaviour in public office in 2011.
Ronnie was also taken before Magistrate Quintyne in the Princes Town First Court yesterday afternoon but she could not deal with the matter as no files were brought before her.
He was remanded into custody by a Justice of the Peace to today.
His attorney Petronella Basdeo told the court arrangements had been made for the warrant to be executed on Ronnie at 10 am at the Princes Town Police Station.
However, she said he was arrested at 9 am in the San Fernando High Court.
She said subsequent arrangements were made for him to appear before a magistrate before noon yesterday but he was only brought to court at 2 pm.
Last Friday, Steve Sahadeo, 42, his wife, Stephanie, 32 and elderly parents–Harrylal, 75 and Devika, 65–were before the court charged with drug possession for the purpose of trafficking and ammunition possession.
Police said the drugs had a street value of $2 million.
When they appeared before Magistrate Quintyne on Friday afternoon, bail, totalling $610,000, was granted to the four accused in spite of an admission from prosecutor Sgt Roger Richardson he had instructions to object on the grounds of the prevalence of guns being the weapon of choice to commit crimes and the quantum of the drugs seized.
Corporal Marlon Mendoza laid the charges.
The two women, Devika, a pensioner and her daughter-in-law Stephanie, who is employed at Plipdeco, were granted own bail in the sum of $30,000 each.
Harrylal, 75, also was granted bail in the sum of $250,000 with surety while bail for his son, Steve, 42, was set at $300,000 also with surety.
They are to reappear in court on April 28.