Man on trial for harvesting ‘weed’

A policeman yesterday told a jury in the San Fernando Criminal Court he saw a man, who went on trial for cultivating marijuana, cutting four-feet marijuana trees in the Marac forests two years ago. The jury hearing the trial of accused Gaston Pamphille, 35, was also shown a bag containing marijuana. Pamphille of Marac Village, is before Madame Justice Paula Mae Weekes in the First Criminal Court and is represented by Nizam Mohammed while assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard is leading the State’s case.

First State witness PC Videsh Ramsaran testified he was among a team of officers on exercise in the Marac forest around 11.30 am on July 18, 2002. Ramsaran told the court while walking through the forest he and his colleagues came upon a clearing measuring approximately 50 feet square, where four-foot tall plants resembling marijuana were growing. A make-shift camp was also seen nearby. The policemen hid in the bushes and after monitoring the area for 10 minutes, saw the accused emerge from a track with a cutlass in his hand.  

Ramsaran said he saw Pamphille cut off some branches from the plants which resembled marijuana and, as the officers ran out from their hiding places, Ramsaran said he called out to Pamphille, “Stop! Police! Stop!” But according to the State witness, Pamphille dropped his cutlass and ran through a track and escaped. By 1 p.m. Ramsaran said, the officers were on patrol along Penal Rock Road in Moruga near Santa Maria RC school, when they saw the accused walking along the road. PC Ramsaran said Pamphille again attempted to escape, but was held a short distance away. When cautioned, Pamphille allegedly told the officers, “Oh God boss, this is the only hustle I know.” Pamphille was taken to Moruga Police Station along with the cutlass he allegedly dropped in the forest when he fled and some marijuana trees which police say they uprooted from the marijuana plantation. The case continues today.