The Crown has offered no evidence against 48-year-old Errol Lamey, former councillor for the Mount Salem division in St James.

Lamey was freed Monday of charges of possession of ganja, conspiracy to export ganja and dealing in ganja.

Lamey, who operates a lumber yard in St James, was arrested and charged in July 2007 after 59 pounds of ganja was found in a shipment of lumber which he was exporting for furniture manufacturing.

Elected on a People's National Party ticket, the former councillor resigned after he was arrested and charged .

When the case came before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court Monday, the Crown was seeking an adjournment.

Proving the charges

Defence lawyer Peter Champagnie insisted that the trial should proceed because the case had been before the court since July 2007. Champagnie said the crown was going to have great difficulty proving the charges against Lamey. He said three to four days before the ganja was allegedly found in the shipment of lumber at the wharf in Kingston, the port security officers had checked the lumber and found there was no contamination.

He said the allegations were that it was three to four days later that the police did further checks and found the ganja.

A short adjournment was granted and, on resumption, the prosecutor offered no evidence against Lamey.

Lamey appeared before Resident Magistrate Stephanie Jackson Haisley.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com