Police stopped and searched Tino Johnas in Freshwota 4, Port Vila, on 26 August 2022, while he was with a group of young men.[1] The Supreme Court judgment says the cannabis found on him weighed 1.83 grams.[1]
Johnas admitted buying it for VT 500 and smoking it with friends; the court recorded that he did not sell it.[1] He pleaded guilty to one charge of unlawful possession before Justice Oliver A. Saksak.[1]
Johnas was 20 when the police found the cannabis and 23 when the court sentenced him.[1] After considering submissions from both sides and a pre-sentence report, the judge ordered him to complete 50 hours of community work within 12 months on 1 April 2026.[1]
The judgment said Johnas had no previous convictions and noted the four-year delay between the offence and sentence.[1] The judge imposed a non-custodial sentence and said possession carried a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison or a VT 100 million fine.[1]