A man who was allegedly caught transporting 345 pounds of ganja last week was yesterday refused bail in the Kington and St Andrew Parish Court.
Solomon Henry, a resident of Fairfox Avenue in Havendale, St Andew, is facing charges of possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, taking steps to export ganja, trafficking ganja, and conspiracy to export ganja.
It is alleged that on August 8, Henry was driving a Toyota Town Ace motor vehicle along Molynes Road when police from the St Andrew Central Division stopped the vehicle.
The vehicle was allegedly transporting 40 carton boxes, 38 of which were found to have a false compartment. Further checks revealed that the boxes contained ganja, the police are claiming.
Yesterday, when Henry appeared in court, Senior Parish Judge Judith Pusey remanded him following an unsuccessful bail application by his attorney, Earnest Davis.
Davis, during his application, told the court that his client was hired to transport the boxes because the original driver was not employed to drive a van.
Davis, while noting that his client was not aware that the weed was in the boxes, stressed that his client had no previous conviction and that he had a fixed address. The court heard that Henry was paid $15,000 to drive the truck from Duhaney Park to Half-Way-Tree.
Pusey, who was not convinced that Henry was unaware of the contents of the boxes, remarked: “When in doubt, leave it out. So a man going to pay $15,000 to drive a van from Duhaney Park to Half-Way-Tree?”
Pusey then asked Henry if he had ever had trouble with the law before. Henry told the court that he was charged once for destroying property belonging to a Chinese man. Pusey, apparently recognising Henry’s face, advised his attorney to have a word with him.
“I think you should have a word with your client because I know more than you,” Pusey said. Davis, after consulting with Henry, told the court that his client was arrested only once. “How many times you get in trouble before?” Pusey asked again.
Following this, Henry’s attorney asked Judge Pusey if he could get another chance to put the question to his client. Judge Pusey obliged and the attorney insisted that Henry speaks the truth. “Tell me the truth,” Davis said to Henry.
Henry told the court that he had some trouble with a police officer to whom he had sold a motor vehicle. However, he said that he had been before the court twice but was never convicted.
Pusey then told Davis that when it comes to bail, everything has to be laid out on the table. Prior to remanding Henry, Pusey advised Davis to visit the Criminal Records Office and take a look at Henry’s criminal record. A September 12 mention date was subsequently set.