$15,000 for coke

POSSESSION of an extremely small amount of cocaine cost a Santa Cruz man $15,000 when he appeared before a Port-of-Spain magistrate on Wednesday. Kenton Ghany of La Pastora, Santa Cruz, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of .2 grammes of cocaine when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court. Ghany was arrested on September 1 at Globe Lane, San Juan, by PC Selwyn James of the San Juan Police Station, who was on mobile patrol in the area on the evening in question.

According to the prosecution’s report, Ghany, who was standing at the side of the road, dropped the foil packet containing the narcotic when the police vehicle pulled up alongside him. He was taken to the San Juan Police Station, where he was charged. Ghany’s attorney, Theodore Guerra, was not present in the court and in his defence the accused told Lee Kim that by pleading guilty he had not wasted the court’s time, to which the magistrate responded, “Don’t do me any favours Mr Ghany.” Ghany, who had previously been charged two times for similar offences, was ordered to pay the fine or serve three years in prison. He was allowed 30 days in which to begin making payments.