Judge refuses to lower $25M bail

Ronald Rackal, who is one of five men and a woman charged with trafficking in cocaine, withdrew his application to have his bail of $5 million varied. However, three of the other men and the woman who are also on $5 million bail each,  and who are also facing extradition proceedings, pursued their application yesterday before Justice Herbert Volney, but the judge refused to vary their bail. The four are Jitram Sookdeo, Hafeez Mohammed, Ramesh Doon and Indaryartee Dwarika. The fifth man, Andre Ravi Persad, is not on the extradition list and is out on $100,000 bail. At yesterday’s bail hearing, senior State attorney David West objected to bail, noting that in extradition cases, the practice is not to grant bail.

However, attorney Devan Rampersad, who represents Mohammed, pointed out that the local bail law says that even a person facing extradition proceedings is entitled to bail. Attorney Ian Ibrahim, who represents Dwarika, told the court the personal circumstances and the antecedence of his client, would equally apply to the other parties. Considering what was said, Justice Volney invited the applicants to put such evidence on affidavits, and suggested Rampersad further present his submission in writing in the form of skeleton arguments.

The court also heard from attorneys Om Lalla, who represents Doon and Asaf Hosein, who represents Sookdeo. Justice Volney adjourned the matter to Wednesday. The six were out on bail, but five of them were re-arrested on October 30 on a provisional warrant for extradition to the USA, and placed on $5 million bail each by Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls on Monday, the same day their trial was listed to start before Justice Volney in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court. When the matter was recalled last Wednesday, attorneys Ravi Rajcoomar and Prakash Ramadhar made an application on behalf of the five to have their bail varied, but Justice Volney suggested they do so at the regular bail hearing day, which was yesterday.