Tamoya Andem who’s the son of incarcerated and reputed gang leader Joel Andem, has been freed of allegations that he breached the dangerous drugs act.
Andem was found not guilty in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Wednesday of possession of 100 pounds of ganja.
The Police had alleged that the ganja was found in a motor car in which Andem was a passenger.
Andem’s co-accused, Zydan Douglas, was also freed.
Another passenger in the vehicle and the driver had pleaded guilty before the start of the trial.
Prosecutors had argued that on May 13 last year, Andem and the other men were passengers in a motor vehicle which was travelling along Derrymore Road in St Andrew.
The police reportedly stopped the vehicle because of a traffic violation.
The Police alleged that there was a strong odour of ganja coming from the vehicle.
The vehicle was searched and the police found a bag containing ganja on the back seat and six other bags of ganja in the trunk of the vehicle.
Andem via his Attorney, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie, denied knowing the ganja was in the vehicle
In freeing Andem and Douglas, the Court observed that the principal police personnel in the case was discredited under cross-examination by King’s Counsel Champagnie and Javed Grant, who appeared in court on behalf of Douglas.
The judge commented that the smell of ganja alone was not sufficient in law to find the men guilty or connect them beyond a reasonable doubt to the alleged crime.
Andem and Douglas were subsequently freed of charges of possession of ganja, along with dealing and trafficking in ganja.
