MILLIONS CLAIMED AFTER POLICE BURN DOPE CROP

A businessman from Brits and a Menlo Park company have instituted a
damages claim for more than R5,8 million against Safety and Security
Minister Charles Nqakula, after police arrested the man and destroyed
his "scientific" dagga crop.

Transvaal Deputy Judge President Jerry Shongwe granted leave to
businessman Russel de Beer and the company Leading Prospect Trading
to proceed with legal action for unlawful arrest and delictual
damages, despite them not giving timeous notice of their claim.

According to court papers, the police raided De Beer's farm at
Kameeldrift, near Brits, in February 2004, arrested him and destroyed
his crops, stock and seeds.

This was despite the fact that he had been cultivating cannabis in
collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council under permits
issued by the Health Department since 2002, and had in fact developed
a new variety of cannabis for industrial use.

De Beer was in the process of registering intellectual property
rights in respect of the new variety locally and internationally, and
had negotiated local and international contracts for the supply and
cultivation of hemp when his crop was destroyed.

He was prosecuted for unlawful cultivation and dealing in a
prohibited substance, but was acquitted.

Leading Prospect Trading, which owned the crop, is claiming R3,6
million damages, and De Beer more than R2,2 million for the injury to
his good name and reputation, legal costs, loss of income and
intellectual property rights and a loss of profits.