In a significant legal development, Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman dismissed a cocaine trafficking charge against Mr. Leon Nicholas on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, citing insufficient evidence to link him to the narcotics. The case, which had been ongoing for over two years, concluded with the court ruling that the prosecution failed to prove Mr. Nicholas’s involvement in the possession of 6.7 kilograms of cocaine. The defendant was arrested on September 1, 2023, during a police raid at the A1 Nightclub and Bar in East Bank Demerara, Guyana. Police officers, acting on intelligence, discovered the cocaine in an apartment rented by Mr. Nicholas. However, the defense successfully argued that Mr. Nicholas had no control over the apartment at the time of the raid, as it was rented to another individual who had exclusive access. Magistrate Latchman emphasized that there was no evidence to establish Mr. Nicholas’s knowledge or possession of the cocaine. The defense also highlighted that the police failed to conduct the search in Mr. Nicholas’s presence or obtain any admission of guilt. Under Guyana’s Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control Act, possession of cocaine exceeding 2 grams is presumed to be for trafficking, placing the burden of proof on the defendant. However, the court found that the prosecution did not meet its burden in this case. Mr. Nicholas expressed gratitude to the magistrate for her thorough consideration of the evidence and to his attorney for securing his bail during the lengthy legal proceedings.