Former Jamaican footballer Allan 'Skill' Cole was yesterday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment at hard labour for possession of ganja and trafficking in ganja.

In addition he was fined $1 million or six months imprisonment. Attorney-at-law Patrick Atkinson who is representing Cole gave verbal notice of appeal.

Resident Magistrate Desiree Alleyne who convicted Cole in the Corporate Area Resident Magis-trate's Court offered him bail in the sum of $2 million with sureties. The Crown led evidence that in February 2002, policemen from the Narcotics Division went to Cole's residence in Vineyard Town, St. Andrew where ganja weighing 136 kilograms was found.

Five other men who were charged jointly with Cole were freed because there was not enough evidence to substantiate the charges against them.