TWO SENIOR citizens were on Friday remanded after they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer a charge of possession of narcotics.Wilfred Francis, 66, and his wife Marcella Francis, 58, of Tabatinga, Lethem, both pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on Wednesday, February 10, 2015, they had in their possession five grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The facts presented by Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones stated that the police, having received information, went to the defendants’ home to carry out a search. There, they found two black bags containing leaves, seeds and stems of what was suspected to be cannabis in the back room of the house.

As he made his presentation for reasonable bail, the defendants’ lawyer told the court that his clients were not the only persons occupying the house, but the other occupants of the house were not charged. He also told the court that both of his clients were suffering from various medical complications for which they were receiving treatment.

The prosecutor objected to bail being granted, stating that the defendants’ lawyer had not submitted any special reasons for bail to be granted.

Magistrate McLennan remanded the couple saying that no special reason had been offered. The matter has been transferred to the Lethem Magistrate’s Court for March 1, 2016.