St Elizabeth businessman accused of illegal gun and ammunition importation freed

St Elizabeth businessman Godfrey Martin, who was accused of being the mastermind behind the illegal importation of 21 guns and 2,000 rounds of ammunition into the island in 2022, was today freed in the Gun Court following a no-case submission.

The 51-year-old, otherwise called 'Rev', of Santa Cruz, was charged with conspiracy to illegally import firearm and conspiracy to illegally import ammunition.

In court, his attorneys Jacquline Samuels-Brown and Everton Dewar argued that there was no nexus in the case against Martin and that the matter should be dismissed.

The application was upheld by the trial judge in the Gun Court Division today.

The police had reported that 18 handguns, three rifles, and a large cache of ammunition were seized at a warehouse in Kingston in March 2022 after customs agents noticed anomalies.

An investigation was launched, which resulted in Martin being arrested at an entertainment event in Ocho Rios, St Ann on August 7 that year by detectives assigned to the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Branch.

He was subsequently charged with breaches of the  Firearms Act. 

His lawyers argued that the prosecution could not prove that Martin was linked to the importation.

- Rasbert Turner 

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