The 76-year-old father who was arrested and charged in connection with five drug crimes has been granted $200,000 bail with a cash component of $8,000.
Osei Elihu also had to have two sureties sign on his behalf when he appeared before Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel in the All Saints Magistrate’s Court.
The magistrate ordered that he surrender all travel documents and report to Johnson’s Point Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday while the committal hearing is pending.
His 25-year-old daughter, Efuru Elihu, also got bail, but at a much lower amount.
It was set at $60,000 with a cash requisite of $5,000 along with two sureties. She too has to report to the Johnson’s Point Police Station thrice per week, and she also had to surrender her passport to the court.
The second daughter charged, 19-year-old Moussourourah Elihu, was released into her mother’s custody and placed on a 7 p.m. curfew. She is required to report to the St. John’ Police Station every Wednesday and her passport had to be handed over to the court.
May 22 is the date set for the committal hearing on their joint charges of possession of 33 pounds of cured cannabis along with possession of 1,100 plants, intent to transfer the cured drug and the plants as well as being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
It is alleged that when the police went to the family’s home at daybreak on Friday, the found the cured cannabis inside the house, while the plants were being farmed outside in the yard. Overall, the marijuana is said to be worth $266,000.
Last year, parliament amended the Misuse of Drugs Act, decriminalising the possession of up to 15 grams of cannabis and four cannabis plants per household.
The amendment also expunged marijuana convictions involving a quantity of 15 grams or less, going back from March 5, 2018 when the law took effect.
The amendment stopped short of legalisation, however, as it does not remove legal penalties for the sale of cannabis.