A pork-knocker was yesterday remanded to prison after being faced with charges of growing cannabis and having over a kilo in his possession for trafficking.
It is alleged that on January 31, John Rodney, at 14 Miles Issano Backlands, Upper Mazaruni, cultivated cannabis. It is also alleged that, on the same day, he had in his possession 1.196 kilogrammes of cannabis for trafficking.
Rodney, 51, of One Mile Squatting Area, Linden pleaded not guilty to both charges when they were read to him in a city court by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
According to the facts presented by police prosecutor Deniro Jones, police officers, acting on information, went to Rodney’s camp, where they conducted a search in his presence. During the search, they found several seeds, leaves and stems, suspected to be cannabis. The accused then allegedly took them to another camp, where they found small buckets hanging in the roof with cannabis plants. Prosecutor Jones added that Rodney told them that he put them up there to dry.
Mark Conway, who represented Rodney, said the area in which the plants were found were far from the camp where the man was held. He further stated that this in no way means that his client had any knowledge the plants existed. Conway argued that the special circumstances warranted bail for his client, whom he stated had one prior conviction for simple larceny.
Bail was denied by Chief Magistrate McLennan and Rodney was remanded until February 18, when the matter is to be called at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
