Man jailed 10 years for ‘ganja’

A 22-YEAR-OLD Penal man, who was caught hiding two bags of marijuana in a refrigerator, was yesterday imprisoned for ten years after being found guilty by a jury in the San Fernando Criminal High Courts. Anthony Alphonzo, 22, of Penal Rock Road, was sentenced by Justice Mark Mohammed who presided over the second Criminal Assizes, after being found guilty by a jury last February. Alphonzo was jointly accused of the narcotics offence with his cousin Torrence Leben and neighbour, Choy Aping, 18. Leben was found not guilty of the charge while Aping was discharged by the prosecution early in the trial. Alphonzo was represented by attorney Stedman Jack while Leben and Aping were represented by attorney Michael Persadsingh.

Jack appealed for leniency, saying his client had changed his life since he began attending church last year. However, State prosecutor Brambhanan Dubay said the accused had two previous convictions for marijuana possession, one of which was committed while this trial was pending. The State’s case was that on November 17, 2001, PCS Badree and Ramlochan caught Al-phonzo as he was placing a black bag containing the narcotics in a refrigerator downstairs his home at Penal Rock Road. When Alphonzo turned around and saw the cops, he ran out of the house and escaped through the bushes.

The State had alleged that Leben was sitting on a bucket outside the house when police raided the house. Leben testified before the jury that he did not know of the marijuana in the house, nor did he observe his cousin Alphonzo with the bag in the refrigerator. Leben and Aping were taken to the Penal Police Station and charged with marijuana trafficking. Later that day, Alphonzo turned himself into the police and admitted that the illegal drugs belonged to him.