– tells court, “I don’t sell drug; I does only smoke it”

A 54-year-old man of Mabaruma was on Monday sentenced to three years imprisonment along with a $30,000 fine for marijuana trafficking.

Peter Silvanie appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and admitted that on Saturday, July 9 at Mabaruma, North West District, he had 17 grammes of marijuana in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The unrepresented Silvanie begged the magistrate for leniency while noting that he is the father of 10.

The prosecution stated that on the day in question, Police Constable Walter was heading to work and boarded a taxi which Silvanie later joined along the way.

The policeman observed Silvanie acting in a suspicious manner and on approaching the station he requested the man to disembark the vehicle and conducted a search on him.

In Silvanie’s pants pocket, the constable pulled out a black bag with a quantity leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis. The man under caution said, “I don’t sell drug; I does only smoke it.”