Dutch accused tells court –

A NETHERLANDS woman charged with possession of over TT$1 million worth of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, yesterday told a Port-of-Spain jury the suitcase in which the illegal drugs were allegedly found, did not belong to her, but a ‘‘Mr Moonie’’, a taxi-driver whom she considered to be a friend.

Adrianna Kaya Teuben, 51, who is before Justice Larry Lalla in the Fourth Criminal Court was arrested on June 17, 2004 at Piarco International Airport by PC Lyndon Russell of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU).

The 3.50 kilos of cocaine, which has an estimated street value of TT$1.4 million, was allegedly found in a hidden compartment of the suitcase. Teuben when questioned by her attorney Mario Meritt said she was unemployed in Holland and received money from an insurance company for an operation she had on her back.

She said the trip to Trinidad was a birthday present from her son, who is employed with a company called Vim Smith in Holland, which deals with road construction. Teuben said the suitcase was given to her by Mr Moonie after the handle on her suitcase broke off.

Teuben said she was going to return the suitcase to Mr Moonie within three months time, when she planned to return to TT with her son. Teuben said although she wanted to buy a suitcase for herself, Mr Moonie insisted she use his and return it to him when she came back to TT.

Teuben said she made friends with Mr Moonie two days after she arrived in Trinidad. She said Mr Moonie offered to drop her into Port-of-Spain during the day, and pick her up on afternoons when he dropped her off at Sundeck Suites in Newtown where she was staying.

Teuben said she was also carried to Maracas Bay by Mr Moonie, who had a woman in his company. Teuben said at Maracas, Mr Moonie bought her a necklace with black stones, while the woman bought her a bracelet to match from a rasta man. Teuben said she did not know the woman’s name, but considered her to be a nice friend. Teuben said at Maracas Bay she spent five hours with Mr Moonie and the woman, where they ate, drank, talked to people on the beach and swam.

When asked in cross-examination by lead prosecutor Joy Balkaran whether it was a Dutch custom to accept gifts from people whose names she did not know, or whether it was a custom not to ask the names of people she did not know, Teuben said it was not a custom but insisted she (Teuben) only took presents from friends.

“We Dutch people do not ask names and yes Dutch people do that. When we have a friend, we have a friend for life. I consider the woman a friend for life. When you come to my land you will see we are different from people in TT.”

When asked to describe Mr Moonie, Teuben said he was a large Indian man with a brown complexion in his mid-30s.

Teuben said when she was confronted by PC Russell about the accusation of drugs in her possession, she said it was not possible she had dangerous drugs on her. Lalla informed the jury that he will give his summation tomorrow.