A machine operator, who was initially arrested on an abusive language charge, found himself in more hot water when he implicated himself on a drug charge while at the police station.
Romaine Welcome, 31, of Jonestown, Kwakwani, appeared in a city court yesterday and admitted to a charge of cannabis possession. It was stated that Welcome was found in possession of four grammes of cannabis on August 28th, at Kwakwani Park, Berbice River.
Prosecutor Deniro Jones told the court that on August 28th Welcome had been arrested by ranks at the Kwakwani Police Station on an abusive language charge. Before a routine search could be carried out on his person, Welcome took some money along with the narcotic from his pocket and placed it on the counter. The police, suspecting the substance to be cannabis, opened and inspected it before weighing the substance in the defendant’s presence.
Welcome, when asked if he’d like to say anything in regards to the prosecutor’s claims, told the court, “I does only smoke it, I don’t traffic it.”
Magistrate Ann McLennan fined Welcome $20,000 and sentenced him to complete six weeks of community service. If Welcome is unable to meet these terms, he will be required to spend six months in prison.
