A STABROEK Market vendor was released on $20,000 bail by City Magistrate Judy Latchman for allegedly smoking cannabis.

Noel Mansfield, 40 of Durban Street, Wortmanville denied that on September 22 at Stabroek Market he smoked cannabis.

The court heard that police during a raid in the market area saw the accused with a cigarette-like object in his hands smoking and contacted him. The object was searched and a quantity of leaves, seeds and stem suspected to be cannabis were found inside.

Mansfield however told the court that he is currently before Magistrate Dylon Bess for trafficking 42 Ziploc bags of cannabis. Police Prosecutor, Shawn Gonsalves objected to the accused being granted bail on the ground that Mansfield has another ongoing drug charge before the court. Magistrate Latchman released the accused on $20,000 bail and adjourned the matter to October 16.