Labourer held in St Thomas ganja bust freed

A St Catherine man who was charged with possession of 178 pounds of ganja was freed yesterday following a no-case submission by attorney-at-law Courtney Foster.

Raynor Montique, 33, was freed in the St Thomas Parish Court as the Crown could not prove that he was in possession of the 35 packages of ganja which were found inside a house.

He had journeyed from St Catherine to Retreat Cove in Morant Bay, St Thomas on May 24, 2019, to paint a house when he was arrested and charged.

“I'm feeling very overwhelmed. Words just can't explain how I feel knowing that I am free,” Montique remarked after he was acquitted.

Police witnesses testified that Montique was on the premises when they went there and they took him into the living room. 

The police said that 35 packages containing ganja were found in the living room.

Montique was charged with possession of ganja, dealing in ganja and taking steps preparatory to export ganja.

When cautioned, he said it was the first time he was seeing the packages.

During cross-examination, the police witnesses denied suggestions that the ganja was found in a locked room and not in the living room.

They also denied suggestions that they had colluded to tell a police inspector that the ganja was found in the living room instead of the locked room.

One of the policemen under cross-examination said that the house had over 20 rooms and was partially painted.

The witnesses admitted that Montique told them he was a labourer before the packages were found.

One of the policemen said he could not recall if painting supplies were inside the house.

After the prosecution closed its case, Foster submitted that no investigation was done by the police because Montique was charged the same day.

Foster said no interview was conducted for Montique because no question and answer interview was done.

Submitting further, Foster argued that there was no evidence that the smell of ganja was emanating from the house so as to cause a reasonable person to believe ganja was inside the premises.

Foster submitted that the credibility of the police witnesses was significantly undermined and they failed to lead sufficient evidence to satisfy the ingredient of the offences.

Foster asked the judge to free Montique because the prosecution did not prove that he was in possession of the packages of ganja.

Parish Judge Tracy Ann Robinson upheld the no-case submissions and freed Montique.

- Barbara Gayle

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