Matthews Lane area leader Donald "Zeeks" Phipps was offered bail in the sum of $1.5 million in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's court yesterday, but he was unable to take up the offer as the passport he had in his possession had expired.
By Karyl WalkerHe is charged with illegal possession of 26 rounds of ammunition, possession of ganja weighing two pounds and unlawful possession of pharmaceuticals.
The police claim the bullets, ganja and pharmaceuticals were found in a shop owned by Phipps was ordered by presiding magistrate Judith Pusey to give his fingerprints to the police, report to the Kingston Central police station on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between the hours of 6:00 am and 8:00 pm and surrender his travel documents as conditions of bail.
But the so-called area don could not provide a valid passport after spending hours in the holding area of the Half-Way-Tree Court and was carted off in a truck assigned to transport prisoners to the remand centre.
Phipps, a police source said, told officers that his passport was in the possession of an embassy as he had planned to visit a foreign country.
His attorney, K Churchill Neita, was confident however that his client would be out on the streets as soon as a valid passport was handed over to the authorities.
"There is a hitch in relation to his travel document but they are working to sort it out," Neita told the Observer last evening.
Earlier Neita told the court that he thought the conditions of bail to be oppressive and asked the court to relax the conditions of reporting to the police three times weekly. Neita pleaded that his client was a businessman who lived at Matthews Lane and was not planning to abscond.
His request was denied by R M Pusey, who told the attorney that the charges against his client were very serious.
"These are serious allegations. It is a large quantity of ganja plus the offences under the Firearms Act. The conditions stand," Pusey told the lawyer.
The police say they went into the Matthews Lane area last Sunday and at about 3.15 pm entered a grocery store called the 'Sons Of The Lane' on Heywood Street which is owned by Phipps.
Phipps was summoned and shown a search warrant after which he opened the doors to the establishment.
According to the prosecution, Phipps was in the company of his common-law wife, Tanya Williams, and requested that the police search the premises in Williams' presence.
The police, the court was told, complied and when the shop was searched ganja weighing about two pounds was found along with 13 bottles of hydrocortisone - a substance which is administered to horses - three bottles of another unnamed substance and 26 rounds of .45 cartridges in a bag on top of a bucket.
The cops say Phipps denied ownership of the ammunition but admitted to possession of the ganja and chemicals.
Phipps appeared in court yesterday dapperly dressed in a black and grey pinstripe suit and black Clarks shoes. He, however, looked worried and weary before he was called to the dock, but as soon as bail was granted he nodded his head and flashed a weak smile.
"Me get bail pan the two charge them?" he asked a cop who stood nearby.
Phipps was granted bail after the prosecution read out the allegations against him and told the court that there was no opposition to bail.
A stop order was also made against him at all ports to prevent any attempts by Phipps to take flight.
Phipps will return to court on November 2 this year.
