Mahdia man remanded over ganja in pants crotch

A man accused of having 29 grams of cannabis in his pants crotch at Mahdia was yesterday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Benedick Francise of Lot 111 Miles, Mahdia, was charged with having the narcotics in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The unrepresented man  said: “Your worship I was intoxicated and when I reach at de police station de hold meh fu that.” He pleaded not guilty to the offence.

In presenting the facts to the court, Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield said that on the day  police officers on patrol  went to the area where they observed the accused acting in a suspicious manner.

The man was approached by the lawmen, the prosecutor said, and a search was carried out on his person.

Subsequently seeds, leaves and stems suspected to be cannabis were found in the man’s pants crotch. The accused was taken into custody and the narcotics were weighed in his presence at the police station.

After stating the facts Mansfield made an application for the defendant to be remanded to prison, stating that no special circumstance was presented to the court.

The magistrate ruled in favour of the prosecution and  the accused was remanded.

The matter will be called again at the Mahdia Magistrates’ Court on April 18.