Tamoya Andem, son of incarcerated crime boss Joel Andem, was today found not guilty of drug charges in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

His co-accused Zydan Douglas was also found not guilty.

The two were charged with possession, dealing and trafficking ganja following an incident last year.

The prosecution led evidence that on May 13, 2021, Andem and Douglas were passengers in a motor car that was stopped along Derrymore Road, St Andrew, after the police observed a traffic breach by the driver.

The police told the court that on approaching the car, there was a strong odour of ganja coming from the vehicle.

As a result, a search was conducted. The search revealed one bag of ganja in the backseat of the car and six other bags in the trunk. The total weight of the ganja amounted to more than 100 pounds.

Both men denied knowing that ganja was in the car, and in their defence, claimed that they had just been picked up by the driver and another passenger. This other passenger and the driver had pleaded guilty to the ganja before the start of the trial.

Parish judge Venice Blackstock-Murray found Andem and Douglas not guilty of breaching the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The parish judge said she found that the principal officer involved in the case had been discredited after cross-examination by King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and Javed Grant who appeared for Andem and Douglas, respectively.

The judge also noted that the smell of ganja alone was not sufficient in law to find both men guilty.