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BY ROBERT ALONZO, www.guardian.co.tt
One of three men who face cocaine charges arising out of a drug find in diplomatic pouches was rearrested yesterday on an additional charge, when he reappeared in court.
Kurt Alexis, 26, a former security guard at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was nabbed by members of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU) shortly after he left Port-of-Spain Fourth Court.
Alexis, of Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, had reappeared before Senior Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim on a charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
The first charge was laid two weeks ago by Sgt Robin Nanan, when Micah Smith was also charged with trafficking in cocaine by acting ASP Simon Alexis.
However, when Alexis walked out of the courtroom yesterday, he was taken back into custody and charged by Sgt Nanan with conspiracy to traffic cocaine.
Later in the day, he was returned to the court, where the new charge was read to him.
Alexis, Smith, 32, of Laventille Extension Road, Morvant, and 47-year-old accountant Bissoon Boodhai, who was arrested this week, are now charged jointly with conspiracy to traffic cocaine in T&T and elsewhere, between November 30, 2003, and May 8, 2004.
Boodhai worked in the T&T High Commission in London as an accounts officer.
Boodhai’s name was called in Parliament by UNC Chief Whip Ganga Singh as one of the people to whom the pouches had been addressed.
At yesterday’s hearing, Boodhai’s attorney, Rangee Dolsingh, asked that the police hand over two statements which his client allegedly gave when he was arrested.
Dolsingh also asked for full disclosure, including all statements given by prosecution witnesses.
But the police prosecutor told the court a request had been made for the DPP to assign a State lawyer to the case.
Dolsingh said he didn’t understand the word "elsewhere," which appears on the wording of the charge. He said he wanted particulars of "elsewhere."
The police gave an undertaking that the statements would be available to defending lawyers by yesterday afternoon.
The matter has been adjourned to July 28.
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