A Laing Avenue man was yesterday brought before a city magistrate to answer to charges of being in possession of just over half a pound of cannabis and attempting to bribe an officer.
Curtis Thom, 48, was read a charge that stated that on February 9, 2017, at Laing Avenue, he was in possession of 251 grammes of cannabis for trafficking.
It is also alleged that on the same day, at East Ruimveldt Police Station, he attempted to pervert the course of justice by offering a police officer $300,000 as means to forego the cannabis charge.
Thom, an operator at GNIC, denied both charges.
Attorney Clyde Forde, who represented Thom, said that a search was conducted on his client’s home but nothing was found. He added that his client was shot two years ago and is currently undergoing therapy. Forde noted that if his client were to be placed at the Camp Street jail, anything can happen to him since the man who shot him is also there.
Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones, however, told the court that the police conducted a search on the home of the defendant and found the drugs in his room in the presence of Thom and his wife. He noted that when the drugs were found, Thom admitted to owning it.
In relation to the second charge, a sting operation was reportedly set up and Thom’s wife allegedly brought the funds to the police station.
Thom was remanded to prison until February 28, when he is to have a hearing before Magistrate Fabayo Azore.
On March 23, 2015, Thom was allegedly shot in his leg by Stafarei Alexander while he was feeding his dog. Alexander was committed to stand trial for the crime on October 11, 2016.
