Lance Small to know fate Nov 18

JAMAAT-al-Muslimeen member Lance Small will know his fate on November 18 when Justice Rajendra Narine delivers his judgment on the habeas corpus application filed by attorney Pamela Elder SC. After almost two weeks of hearing submissions by Elder and attorney for the Commissioner of Prisons, Douglas Mendes SC, Narine yesterday reserved his judgment. Small, 69, also known as Olive Enyahooma-El, of Vincent Brown Street, Gonzales Place, Gonzales, is wanted in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, to face charges relating to a conspiracy to bring 60 AK-47 rifles into this country and possession of ten MAC-10 weapons and ten silencers. The offences were allegedly committed between April 17, 2000 and May 30, 2001.

The saga began on March 6 when Small was arrested on a provisional warrant and informed that he was wanted in the US for gun related offences. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls at the Port-of-Spain Eighth Court where his application for bail was denied. On March 12, Attorney General John Jeremie issued a document giving McNicolls the authority to go ahead with extradition proceedings against Small. An application for leave for judicial review was filed on behalf of the fugitive in the High Court on March 15 challenging the issuance of the warrant, the bail denial and the AG’s authority to move ahead with extradition proceedings.

On April 6 Justice Sebastian Ventour ordered the warrant and the extradition proceedings quashed. Small was released from the Frederick Street prison on April 7 at around 4pm but was immediately re-arrested on a fresh warrant, which was executed when he was taken to the Port-of-Spain CID. He re-appeared before McNicolls on April 8, when an application was made by Elder that the magistrate excuse himself from hearing the matter on the ground of bias.

McNicolls refused, but one week later reconsidered and transferred the matter to Senior Magistrate Joanne Connor at the City’s Four A Court. After weeks of hearing arguments from both sides, Connor held that a prima facie case had been made out against Small for the offences and on September 21, ordered his extradition to the US to face the grand jury charges. A writ of habeas corpus, Small’s final bid to avoid extradition, was filed at the High Court on October 4.