Justice Thushara Rajasinghe has agreed that the case of three men  on drug-related charges should be transferred back to the Magistrates Court.

Salesi Suka Rasoqosoqo, Viliame Namino and Peni Narawa are jointly charged with one count of unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs.

Rasoqosoqo and Namino each are also charged with one count unlawful possession of illicit drugs.

They appeared before Justice Rajasinghe at the High Court in Suva yesterday.

State prosecutor from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Setefano Komaibaba told the court that by law the matter should be dealt with at the magistrate court.

Justice Rajasinghe agreed with the prosecutor given the facts of the charges and adjourned the matter for ruling on February 3.

Particulars

– For the unlawful cultivation charge, it is alleged that the trio on December 21, 2020, at Navua, without lawful authority, cultivated 94 plants of cannabis sativa weighing 21.46066kg.

– For the unlawful possession charge, it is alleged that Rasoqosoqo and Namino each on December 21, 2020, at Serua, had in their possession 891.77grams and 28.11 grams of cannabis sativa respectively.

The trio were remanded.

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