Nigel Alexander was on Monday fined and ordered to do community service after he pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, which he claimed was prescribed for him by a bush doctor.
Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo, who heard the case at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court, fined Alexander $6,000 and ordered him to do three weeks of community service.
The court was told that on October 27, 2012, while police were on a mobile patrol around 10:15am, ranks saw Alexander sitting on a bench and acting in a suspicious manner. As a result, a search was conducted on him.
Police officers found a transparent bag inside Alexander’s front right side pocket. The bag contained leaves seeds and stems, which amounted to four grammes of cannabis.
Alexander pleaded guilty and told the court that he was working in a gold mine for some time and had contracted malaria. He added that the bush doctor told him to use the leaves, seeds and stems and other medications to help him with the sickness.
