Submissions and a possible decision in a matter involving nine Venezuelans, charged with drug and customs related offenses in January, are expected to be heard on April 27, 2010 at a Roseau Magistrate’s court.
Last week, Ramon Jose Aguilera, the only defendant to testify on behalf of the Venezuelans concluded his testimony, which ended the defense’s case.
The nine Venezuelans were caught on a Venezuelan pirogue (vessel) off the coast of Roseau, in early January, and have been remanded at the Dominica State Prison ever since.
Witnesses’ testimonies
According to the testimony from state witnesses, the men had attempted to escape upon realizing that the police were pursuing them, after they were spotted about 11 miles off Roseau’s coast.
According to a police report, two of the engines of the boat in question had to be disabled to minimize the Venezuelans’ escape, when they recognized the police. The coast guard pursued the vessel for several miles before the Venezuelans were intercepted.
One of the defendants was shot in the process and was hospitalized. He is currently on remand at the Dominica State prison.
Corporal Francis, who was in charge of the coast guard boat, told the court in his testimony that during the pursuit he used a thermal camera and could identify personnel on the fleeing vessel throwing things into the water.
“It looked like packages,” he told the court.
Defendant’s testimony
Meanwhile, Aguilera testified that there was no pursuit at all. He said that he and his crew, were headed to an army base in Bird Island to bring fuel, when they ended up on the Dominican coast.
The witness, who told the court he was a fisherman, said he left Venezuela on January 9, 2010 at 6 a.m. for Bird Island, to bring fuel for another boat. He said the nine-hour trip from Venezuela to Bird Island resulted in his arrest by Dominican police.
Aguilera said that his boat – a Venezuelan pirogue – had no lights on board but a small lamp, and on January 10 at about 8 p.m. they found themselves out at sea, without any clue of their location.
He said that has been making trips out at sea for the past seven to eight years. He also added that the sea was in perfect condition at the time of his trip.
“The coast guard suddenly came in front of me and turned on the light … I thought it was the coast guard and I stopped quickly… They started shooting for about for about half an hour,” the Venezuelan man explained through an interpreter.
No items seized
According to police witnesses, no items liable to seizure were found on the boat. Apart from food, clothes and other items, the only navigational instrument aboard was a compass, police witnesses stated. No identification for any of the Venezuelans were found either.
In a previous hearing, it was disclosed by a police witness that the authorities never went in search of the packages after the chase. When questioned by defense lawyers as to the reason why, a police witness said that they were unsure of the location that the Venezuelans threw the items during the pursuit, so the coast guard officers did not bother conduct a search for the items.
However, Aguilera had denied having anything illegal on the vessel, at that hearing.
He told the court under cross examination last week that he navigated his way through his journey using one compass. This was questioned by the police prosecutor during cross examination, who said that this action would be impossible and another device would be needed to determine location such as a GPS device.
Aguilera denied having any other navigational device, and maintained that certain techniques could be used to maneuver his way to his destination with just one compass.
Lawyers Dawn Yearwood-Stewart and Peter Alleyne represented the defense in the matter.
Dominica News Online will continue to keep readers updated on the matter.
– Hermisha Rolle, Staff reporter
Release the guys before Chavez intervene, and you guys wont be happy if he did, you all DA police men …
Why is Bird Island an issue this late in the game? The island was given to Venezuela by the British umpteen years ago. Chavez did not know if or when he would ever come into power. So why are people continuing to make it an issue between Chavez an the PM. If you are looking for someone to blame why not the British Government? Dominica gained independence in 1978, Bird Island was already in the hands of Venezuela. So give it a break people. Find a new topic to debate about. This newsflash is not new at all , it is STALE!! STALE!! STALE!!
LETS STOP PLAYING POLITRICKS WITH EVERY ISSUE . THIS HAAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GOVERNMENT GETTING MONEY FROM CHAVEZ. THIS IS A CASE OF EVIDENCE . THESE MEN WERE NOT SENT OUT TO SEA BY CHAVEZ OR ARE U SAYING THAT IF ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN OR FAMILY MEMBER GOES OUT AND COMMITES A CRIME THAT U SENT THEM? IF THE COPS HAVE EVIDENCE THEN USE THE EVIDENCE AND SEND THEM TO JAIL. UNLESS THEY CANPROVE THAT THESE MEN ARE DRUG DEALERS WHO WERE AT THE TIME OF THEIR ARREST TRANSPORTING DRUG THEN THE COURT HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO LET JUSTICE PRIVAIL. MIND U I HATE DRUGS AND BELIVER THAT ALL THE DEALERS ONCE CAUGHT SHOULD BE SENT TO JAIL FOR LIFE. BUT PROOF IS WHAT COUNTS .EVIDENCE EVIDENCE EVIDENCE
Why are the Dominican Police wasting their time and our Money, don’t they have more pressing matters to deal with? They have no evidence on the Venezuelans … They need to prosecute all the drug dealers they have tons of evidence on yet they allow them to go free. The Dominican police must stop trying to distract us. They need to Prosecute the fella from Newtown.
The whole point of obstruction under the drug act, is that the police and custom people didn’t actually see the drugs, but they have every right to believe that it was drugs. If it wasn’t drugs then why would the Venezuelans be throwing packages over board. Also…if it isn’t drugs then why don’t they say what it is. The police has every reason to believe that the Venezuelans were trafficking drugs.
That sounds awfully suspicious to me, but the prosecution has to show real evidence that there was drug smuggling involved, other than immigration violations.
That is not the law
Stop wasting people time and money, you know you cant do them anything, they are Venezuelans,
Jail them and you know won’t get anymore Drugs money from their government, the PM need them, and you know you cant do without them, so just set them free ,You know that’s what you are going to do anyway, I would love to see them go to jail, but that’s not going to happen Dominica need Venezuela money to survive. For the amount of money the PM say he get from them, its like biting the hands that feed you
One phone call and those venezuelan are home free—–The NEXT LEVEL IS BLOOMING!!!! Soon the cartel will be back for revenge—Bird island belongs to Dominica, tell chavez to give us back our ROCK and there will be no need for them to be in our waters!!!
CAN YOU SHUT THE HELL UP GOSHHHHH
yes