Long-standing extradition matter pushed to next year

Thu, Dec 1st 2016, 09:49 AM

Five alleged drug traffickers who have been fighting extradition to Florida for more than a decade have hired top British barrister Edward Fitzgerald, QC, to argue their appeal.

The Court of Appeal was scheduled to hear the appeal of Austin Knowles, Nathaniel Knowles, Edison Watson, Ian Bethel and Shawn Saunders yesterday, but lead lawyer Damian Gomez, QC, requested an adjournment to a date that suited Fitzgerald's schedule.

The matter has been adjourned to March 7, 8 and 9.

Then Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Marcus Bethel granted the go-ahead for the extradition proceedings to commence against the men in February 2003.

Then Magistrate Carolita Bethell approved the extradition request in 2004 and committed the men to prison to await extradition.

They were freed on bail in 2005.

A Florida court in March 2003 transferred the case against the men to the suspended or fugitive file.

Saunders' brother, Carlo Bruey, was indicted in the same case. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 120 months' imprisonment in 2004.

Austin Knowles' brother-in-law, Shervin Emmanuel, was extradited from Jamaica in 2006 on the same indictment and was convicted at trial and sentenced to 348 months' imprisonment in 2007.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Neil Brathwaite appears for the requesting state.

Artesia Davis, Guardian Senior Reporter

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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