Prosecutor fails to show for bail hearing

State prosecutor David West yesterday failed to show for a bail application hearing for four men and a woman arrested on extradition warrants on the steps of the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, on Wednesday morning. His absence from court meant that the bail application could not go on and the five — Ronald Rackal, Ramesh Doon, Hafeez Mohammed, Jitram Sookdeo and Indrayartee Dwarika, remained in custody. West’s absence from court brought sharp comments from the applicants’ attorneys Devan Rampersad, Om Lalla and Ian Ibrahim. Justice Paula Mae-Weekes,  who was hearing bail applications yesterday, noted West’s absence.  Officially, yesterday was the last day of court for the Christmas season, and also the last day that relatives could visit inmates at the prison before Christmas. 

However, after checking with the Registrar of the Supreme Court, attorneys learnt that a judge will be available throughout next week, and immediately filed a new application for bail. The new bail application could come up for hearing by next Wednesday. The five are wanted by United States authorities for allegedly conspiring with other persons to import $300 million worth of cocaine into the US. Two other co-conspirators named with them are Alma Santiago and Noble Damien Beharry. On Wednesday, the five had appeared before Weekes for a Cause List hearing on a charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Their trial was fixed for March 1, 2005. As they made their way down the steps of the Hall of Justice, policemen from the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU) arrested them on the extradition warrant. Later that same day, they appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls, and West resisted their application for bail. They then applied to a judge to hear their bail application.