WESTERN BUREAU:

Two men who were reportedly held with 18 bags of oranges that they could not account for were each offered $50,000 bail in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

George Williams and Silbert McIntosh, both farmers of Garland in St James, are charged with unlawful possession of property.

Williams told Resident Magistrate (RM) Sandra Wong-Small that he did not have any previous convictions. McIntosh admitted to having two prior charges for possession of ganja.

The prosecution indicated that it was not opposed to bail, and that there is still one statement outstanding for the case file.

RM Wong-Small offered each of the accused men $50,000 bail with one surety and ordered them to submit their fingerprints to the police. They are to report to the Spring Mount Police Station on Mondays and Fridays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The matter will return for mention on March 23.

Reports are that on February 4, at 7:15 a.m., Williams and McIntosh were seen along the roadside with the 18 bags by police officers. They were accosted and the bags were searched and found to contain oranges.

When questioned, the men could not give an account for how they got the oranges; neither could they provide receipts for them. They were subsequently arrested and charged.