After changing his plea from not guilty to guilty, a Clarendon chef explained to the court that he changed his plea to prevent himself from wasting the court's time.

Christopher Lewis is charged with possession of, dealing in, and taking steps to export ganja. He was granted $100,000 bail when in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

He is to return to court on July 17 for trial.

It is alleged that Lewis was about to board a Caribbean Airlines flight at the Norman Manley International Airport to Antigua when his luggage was searched and nine pounds (4.09 kilograms) of ganja found.

"Your honour, I didn't had a clue that the ganja was in the suitcase so I will plead guilty because I don't want to waste the precious time of the court. I was on my way to Antigua for a job at a security firm," the accused told the court.

Senior Resident Magistrate (RM) Judith Pusey gave the accused bail and set the matter for trial after he explained himself.

"Call me a fool, but I believe you," RM Pusey said.