Men accused in large marijuana bust in court

Some of the people facing charges following a large drug bust involving medical marijuana licences and alleged drug trafficking are in Dartmouth court this week.

Among the 29 people arrested in December was a father and son, who are both facing charges. Marty Allen Rutledge Jr. and Marty Allen Rutledge Sr. of Porters Lake were in court on Wednesday.

Tyler Rutledge, a north-end Halifax elementary school principal, and Olympic kayaker Mihai Apostal are also charged.

Jonathan Langlois-Sadubin, a federal Crown attorney, said the case is large in scale.   

"There were 20, over 20 sets of charges for multiple individuals," he said.

"Over 20 people were charged with charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, ranging from possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana, trafficking marijuana, production of marijuana and conspiracy to do those offences."

In the bust, police seized more than 2,200 marijuana plants and $100,000 in cash in raids all around the Halifax Regional Municipality last fall.  

The accused are due back in court in late May or in mid-June to choose how they want to be tried.  

Accused doctor has licence reinstated

A doctor arrested in the bust had his medical licence reinstated last week.

Dr. Dinesh Sinha's licence to practise medicine was suspended in December after he was arrested in a police sweep of 29 people.

Sinha was never charged.

On Friday, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia announced his licence was reinstated. The college said the condition that led to Sinha’s suspension has been satisfactorily resolved.

Sinha was in the news in 2007 when his clinic was destroyed in a suspicious fire.

RCMP said the investigation is still ongoing. At the time of the arrests, a police spokesman claimed the accused were manipulating medical marijuana legislation.