TWO MEN CLAIMED that it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when 105 pounds of ganja was found hidden in the woodwork of three crates of records a friend asked them to ship overseas.
The two men, 43-year-old Winston Hogg of Bromelia Avenue, Kingston, and 31-year-old contractor Roger Wilson, were charged along with 31-year-old Dwight Chambers, a mechanic of Dunrobin Acres, and his common-law wife, Titania Grant.
Narcotics police reported that at approximately 10 a.m. on Easter Monday they discovered that the boxes of records were really a means of transporting ganja. The Contraband Enforcement Team (CET) checked the boxes in the presense of the three men and declared them tainted. The men were subsequently arrested and charged.
At approximately 2 p.m. Narcotics police officials visited Chambers' residence in Dunrobin Acres and discovered six courier service packages. Five of the packages had false compartments containing ganja and the other, a small amount of white powder resembling cocaine. His common-law wife was found in the house with the boxes on the bed. She was taken into custody.
Not guilty pleas
The four appeared before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court Friday pleading not guilty to charges of possession, dealing, and taking steps to export drugs.
Wilson's attorney, Ronald Khonates, stated that his client was merely the driver of a pick-up van transporting the goods to the airport. The attorney representing Hogg, Jackie Samuel-Brown, insisted that the only invovlement her client had was helping with the paperwork, because of his knowledge as a former employee of customs.
Detective Sergeant D. Carter told the court that he was not objecting to bail for Grant, Wilson or Hogg, but was strongly opposing bail for Chambers. Chamber's attorney, Arthur Kitchen, contested that Chambers was not even on the premises when the additional boxes were found. He also added that another tenant, Franklyn Byers, was still at large and also that his client had cooperated with the police.
Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey ruled that Grant, Wilon and Hogg be granted bail each in the sum of $300,000 with one or two sureties and appear in court on April 23, by which time the file on the investigation should be completed.
