Two men were yesterday remanded to prison after being jointly charged with growing and trafficking marijuana.
According to the charge against Conrad Hackett and Paul Coleman, they were found to be cultivating the marijuana plants on September 19, at Yaruni, in the Demerara River.
Additionally, it is also alleged that they were found to be in possession of eight kilogrammes of cannabis for trafficking. Hackett, a driver, and Coleman, a miner, pleaded not guilty to the two charges.
The court was also told that another man, Dexter Da Silva, was also expected to be charged with the duo, however he has since escaped police custody.
Representing the men, attorney James Bond stated that neither of his clients was found in possession of any narcotic or in the vicinity of any marijuana field.
He told the court that Hackett and Coleman were approached by police officers, who proceeded to question the men about their reason for being in the area.
After the men indicated that they were going about their business, he said the officers continued to explain that they had received information implicating them in marijuana cultivation and trafficking.
The men denied the allegations but were nevertheless arrested and subsequently charged with the offences, he added.
However, the prosecution told a different tale. According to Prosecutor Dinero Jones, officers from the Police Narcotics Branch travelled to Yaruni after receiving a tip. When they got there, he said, they discovered a two-acre marijuana farm with about 2,000 marijuana plants on the land. Additionally, they discovered the men engaging in the processing of the cannabis, he added.
Hackett and Coleman were subsequently remanded until October 30, when the case will be heard at the Linden Magistrate’s Court. An arrest warrant was also issued for Da Silva.
