Two men are now behind bars after police say searches at their homes uncovered several quantities of ganja.
Joseph Winston John, 27, of 39 Norton Street, was charged in a city court with having had in his possession 326 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking, on June 30, at Norton Street, Lodge.
Additionally, the court heard that on June 29, at Mandela Avenue, Frank Kowlessar, 36, had in his possession 34.5 grammes of cannabis. The men, who were represented by attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, each pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
According to Fung-A-Fat, in the case of John, the illegal substance was found below his home. He said that at the time, there were ten boys under the house and they ran away when they saw the police approaching them. Fung-A-Fat said the police subsequently held his client for the drugs that they found.
However, Police prosecutor Deniro Jones, who objected to bail, said that police from the narcotics branch went to the defendant’s home and saw him there. According to Jones, John began to run when he saw the police and he threw a plastic bag into a nearby apartment. When the officers retrieved the bag, they found leaves seeds and stems, suspected to be cannabis. John was eventually arrested. In the case of Kowlessar, Fung-A-Fat said that the drugs that he was charged with having was found in his unfenced yard. But Jones, who also objected to bail for Kowlessar, said that on the day in question the police went to the defendant’s house and saw him throw up something on the roof. When they retrieved the item, it was found to be cannabis. Jones added that when Kowlessar was arrested, he told the police that he had the drug for “personal use.”
The Chief Magistrate subsequently remanded the men to prison. John was ordered to return to court on July 12, while Kowlessar was ordered to return on July 14. Their matters were transferred to courts 3 and 5, respectively.
