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| The drug trafficking and theft cases were both heard at District Court |
A Filipino resident has convinced a District Court judge to allow him to post bail of $5,000 cash and an equal amount in surety pending the resolution of a drug trafficking charge against him, when he appeared for a hearing of his case yesterday, July 17.
Aster Leo Balucanag had been in jail since January
last year after being charged with a more serious drug-related offence, but was
cleared in March this year after the prosecution withdrew the charge.
But he remained in detention because of another case
that also involves drugs.
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| PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO |
Balucanag, 39, is accused of trafficking in 9.703 kilos of cannabis in herbal form on Dec. 14, 2023, outside No 188 Lin Fa Tei,
Yuen Long in the New Territories.
The case has been adjourned to Sept 23 this year for
mention.
Meantime, Judge Justin Ko has allowed him to post
bail after the defence lawyer said Balucanag was granted temporary liberty when
he appeared in the magistracy over this offence. That time, his bail was set at
$10,000 cash.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
This time, the defendant said he could only raise
$5,000 cash for the bail, but his brother who works as a chef in Lan Kwai Fong
was willing to act as surety on his own recognizance for another $5,000.
The defence lawyer also asked if it was possible to
alter the bail condition as regards the surrender of the accused’s travel document,
saying Balucanag had no passport.
He was said to possess a Philippine passport before,
but the last time he used it was when he was eight years old, which means that
even if it still exists, it would have already expired.
Judge Ko agreed, and required Balucanag to surrender
a travel document if he had any, to reside at the address he gave the court,
and report to the Yuen Long Police station everyday as part of his bail
conditions.
In a separate hearing also at the District Court, a
Filipina accused of stealing a number of valuables from her employer, including
38 pieces of jewelry, was returned to custody after her plea-taking was set for
Jan 16 next year.
Jennifer H. Ducusin, is accused of stealing 2
bracelets, 17 rings, 3 necklaces, 1 necklace with pendant, 5 pairs of earrings,
1 pendant, 3 coins, 9 wrist chains, 2 scarves, 1 handbag, 2 watches, one scale
and RNB2,5000 in cash from Cheung Yee Wah at Green Park in Sai Kung on Nov. 5,
2024.
At the earlier hearing of the case at Eastern Court,
the value of the items she is alleged to have stolen was placed at $772,161,
apart from the RMB2,500 cash.
