Retrial ordered in coke

Anthony Perpignac, of Cocorite and Lawrence Blake, of Laventille, have been on trial for the past five weeks before Justice Devan Rampersad at the Port-of-Spain Fifth Criminal Court.

The duo was allegedly found with an estimated $3 million worth of cocaine in their possession on the compound of the exclusive Bayside Towers residential complex in Cocorite on October 20, 2004.

After deliberating for almost two hours yesterday, the nine-member panel requested further directions from the judge. They then deliberated further for an hour before returning to the courtroom without coming to a unanimous decision on a verdict.

They indicated that even if given more time to deliberate, they would be unable to break the deadlock.

Rampersad then ordered a retrial and scheduled a cause list hearing for the matter on September 26.

Bail was continued for 43-year-old Blake, while Perpignac, also called Anthony Mauge, was remanded in custody.

It was the State’s case that on the day in question, officers of the Firearms and Interdiction Unit held the accused men in a car with a bag containing 4.2 kilos of cocaine. The car was driven by Blake.

Perpignac did not give evidence, but claimed he was framed because one of the officers had a grudge against him.

He also alleged they had fabricated the story after they were unable to remove him from the compound.

Blake, who claimed he was at the Independence Square branch of RBTT making a deposit at the same time he was reportedly held at Bayside Towers, produced bank records of the transaction, as well as footage of the bank surveillance video showing someone looking like him in the bank on that day.

He also told the court he was an employee of Perpignac and had taken one of his employer’s cars for gas on that day. He said when he returned he waited for Perpignac for about 30 minutes before deciding to leave. As he was driving off the compound, Blake said, he was apprehended by the police and charged with the trafficking offence.