‘Sickly’ pundit denied bail again

In his second appearance before a Port-of-Spain magistrate yesterday, the pundit charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking was again denied bail despite pleas from his attorneys. Appearing before Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim in the Fourth Court was Earnest Suchan, 43, of Sooknannan Trace, Aranjuez, who was arrested on Saturday at his home after officers of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU) found 75.6 kilogrammes of liquid cocaine in his possession. The liquid cocaine has an estimated street value of $30.5 million. Yesterday, attorneys, Rick Ramparas and Patrick Godson Phillips, pleaded for bail for their client. Ramparas told Lee Kim, “My client is a very sickly man and is in urgent need of medical attention. He has a severe skin condition, kidney condition and is also a diabetic.”

Ramparas also criticised the deplorable state of the health care in the jurisdiction of the prisons and said once his client secures bail, he would be able to get proper medical attention at a private institution. In response to the attorney’s submission, the police prosecutor, acting Insp Jules George, strongly objected to bail, saying the health care within the prison system and the medical care available to others on the outside were basically the same. Jules also said he did not understand the attorney’s submission, and said it would be best to remand Suchan so that he could be properly accommodated to be taken to and from court to ensure his appearances. After hearing the submissions of both sides, the magistrate informed Suchan’s attorneys that it would be best for them to submit a medical on their client’s behalf before she can address the issue of bail. The matter was then adjourned to September 7.