High Court grants bail to man given 3-year sentence for ganja

Prominent Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes Friday morning secured High Court bail for 27-year-old, Carl Mangal weeks after he was sentenced to three years in prison by a city Magistrate after he was found with eight grams of marijuana.

Mangal’s case saw widespread outrage from several persons in society, prompting a countrywide debate on the decriminalisation of marijuana among political actors.

He was granted bail in the sum of $40,000 by the Judge pending his appeal of the three years sentence. But according to activist Mark Benschop, Mangal may likely remain in prison until Monday unless a Magistrate signs his warrant.

Up to late Friday afternoon, no Magistrate was reportedly available to sign that warrant even as Mangal’s three minor children await their father’s homecoming.

Just three weeks ago, the 27-year-old father was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to being in possession of eight grams of marijuana.

With the Alliance for Change leading the conversation on marijuana reform, Hughes, an AFC member himself immediately picked up the case and filed an appeal. With bail now granted, the man will have to await the verdict at his appeal hearing.