A 36-year-old man charged with selling petroleum without a licence, pleaded not guilty to the charge when the matter was mentioned in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

Kevin Folkes of Maroon Town in St. James, had his bail extended until July 31, as the court awaits confirmation that the substance that he is accused of selling is in fact petroleum.

He was arrested and charged earlier this month after a bus operator pointed him out to the police as the person who had sold him diesel oil in an area that was not a gas station.

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Folkes is being represented by attorney-at-law Adrian Dayes.

Allegations are that on June 5, the police were on patrol in the Bogue Industrial Estate in Montego Bay. On reaching an open lot, they observed two men filling the tank of a minibus with jugs of diesel fuel. This aroused the suspicion of the policemen and they spoke to the owner of the bus.

The man told the police that he went to the location to buy petrol for his vehicle and pointed out the accused, who was present, as the person who sold the fuel to him. When the police spoke to the accused to ascertain if he had a licence to sell, he asked the police if they had seen him selling gas.