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‘I thought Rastas entitled to an ounce of weed in this country’ – Businessman tells Magistrate
Linden Hodge at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court
Kaieteur News – A 53-year-old businessman was fined $20,000 on Friday and seven days community service when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer a possession of narcotics charge.
The accused, Linden Hodge appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty where he told the court, “I thought that you were entitled to an ounce of it (weed) in this country.”
On July 18, at about 19:00h, ranks from the Brickdam Impact Base were on patrol on Sheriff Street in the vicinity of Duncan Street when they observed Hodge driving a motorcar bearing registration number PMM 4415 jumping the traffic light at the corner of the said location.
He was stopped. As ranks approached him, Hodge reportedly appeared nervous and suspicious. The ranks on patrol conducted a search of his person and found one bulky black bag on his left side waist. The bag contained a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.
The content of the bag was weighed and amounted to 29 grams of cannabis. Hodge was charged for the offence.
Meanwhile, when Hodge appeared in court, he pleaded guilty with explanation. He told the magistrate that he has been using ganja for a number of years. He told the court that he thought persons who are classified as “Rasta” are allowed to have ganja in their possession.
Magistrate McGusty then asked Hodge whether he identified as a Rastafarian to which he answered in the affirmative. The magistrate fined Hodge and sentenced him to 7 days of community service, failing which he would be sentenced to 6 weeks in jail.
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- businessman, fined, Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Faith McGusty, possession of narcotics
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