No bail for engineer on $M coke charge

A 35-year-old man, who was des-cribed as a structural engineer, appeared in court yesterday char-ged with trafficking more than four kilos of high-grade Colom-bian cocaine. Derek Perpinac, also known as “Mauge,” and Lawrence Blake, 41, a tailor, appeared before Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court charged with trafficking $1.6 million worth of cocaine at Cocorite on Wednesday. They were arrested by members of the Firearms Interdiction Unit (FIU) headed by Supt Errol Dillon. The charges were laid by PC Brian Daniel. When the case was called yesterday, attorney Maillard Howell appeared for both defendants. Howell said Perpinac’s address was listed as 104 West Bayside Towers, Cocorite. But court prosecutor, acting Insp Roodal Harrilal, informed the court that the police were not aware that Perpinac lived there.

The police, according to the prosecutor, were informed that the defendant lives at Windsurf Road, Westmoorings-by-the-Sea. Howell pleaded with the court to release his client on conditional bail, saying that Perpinac only had a case for possession of marijuana pending in the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court, and another case at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court. But the prosecutor said the police needed time to verify that Perpinac was really living at Bayside Towers. He said as far as the police were concerned, Perpinac was listed as having “no place of abode.” Howell pointed out that Perpinac no longer lives at Westmoorings. The magistrate then asked, “Suppose I grant bail, and he doesn’t attend court, where can he be found?”

Howell asked for conditional bail for Perpinac, saying his client would report to the police station until Monday when it was hoped that the police would verify his address. “If what he says is not true, then you can deal with that issue,” Howell told the magistrate. Lee Kim responded, “I need to satisfy myself when I grant bail.” Having been told that Blake has no matters pending in court, the magistrate granted him bail in the sum of $100,000 with a surety. She refused to grant bail to Perpinac, however, advising him to apply to a Judge in Chambers. She then adjourned further hearing to Monday. Blake, who lives at Old St Joseph Road, Laventille, failed to secure bail and was taken to the Port-of-Spain State Prison yesterday afternoon, with Perpinac and other prisoners.