A warder who was reportedly caught entering the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre with marijuana hidden in his pants waist, was Tuesday denied bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.
The accused, 31-year-old George Brown, of Waltham Park Road in Kingston, was remanded into custody until September 13 when he will again appear in court.Brown was reportedly found with two parcels of ganja in his possession after another officer observed him entering the facility with a bulge at his waist and took him to the personnel office, where he was searched by an assistant superintendent.The court was told that when the accused was asked what was in the package before the search, he answered, “ganja, Supa”.Brown’s motor car, the court was told, was also searched and six more parcels of ganja were allegedly recovered.Brown’s lawyer, John Clarke, who indicated that the human rights group, Jamaicans For Justice, was interested in the matter, argued relentlessly with Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey for her to grant his client bail but to no avail.Clarke, during his bail application, told Magistrate Pusey that his client was not guilty and that there was nothing in the statement to suggest that his client should not be granted bail. In addition, he said that his client was not a flight risk and that it was unlikely that Brown would interfere or influence the witnesses, given that they are all officers of the correctional service.“What about the gravity and nature of the offence?” the magistrate asked.Clarke, in reply, agreed that the case was serious, but indicated that more severe matters have come before Magistrate Pusey and that his client was constitutionally entitled to bail, which he said should not be deprived without reasonable cause.The magistrate, while commending Clarke for his exemplary application, said that the trading of ganja in correctional facilities by correctional officers was becoming too frequent and rejected the application, based on the strength of the Crown’s case, the nature of the offence and the fact that Brown is a correctional officer.View the original article here
Warder on ganja rap denied bail
