Dam Van Nguyen, 46, has been charged with possessing a commercial quantity of a cannabis, trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis and dealing in property, cash, suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

Nguyen appeared in custody with an interpreter for the committal hearing before Magistrate Ron Saines at Ballarat on Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying “I did not commit any offences.”

A Victoria Police statement alleged that at 6.15am on Wednesday, 20 December 2017, police executed a search warrant at a house at 41 Sweeney Street, Black Hill.

Police searched the premises and located 205 cannabis plants of various sizes and maturity growing in five rooms in the house and in another three rooms in a rear shed.

It is alleged the rooms had been professionally modified with additional lighting and heat lamps, watering systems, fans and carbon filters and material covering the windows.

It is alleged the accused had diverted power from the premises, using a bypass system to an electrical box to steal power.

A report from Powercor revealed the Sweeney Street house was using more than 530 kilowatts (kw) of electricity a day, whereas the average consumption for a house of similar size is 10-15kw a day.

On 27 December 2017, police went to the house to make further enquiries about the purchase of the Sweeney Street house in mid 2017.

It is alleged that while police were talking to the person at the house, the accused walked in. The occupant of the house said Van Nguyen was “her uncle” and did not speak English.

Van Nguyen said he had been “dropped off at the house” by one of his friends but as they left, police saw the accused’s vehicle parked around the corner and and subsequently searched the car.

Van Nguyen was arrested and during a later interview through an interpreter, denied any knowledge of the Sweeney Street house. When asked about the $1605 cash in his wallet, the accused said he had “borrowed money from a friend.”

During Tuesday’s hearing, two forensic experts testified about the testing methods and DNA matching of the fingerprints obtained inside the Sweeney Street house on 20 December 2017.

Analysis of the fingerprints had later confirmed they belonged to the accused.

A directions hearing has been scheduled for 18 October in the County Court in Ballarat.