Magistrate Bernard Pacquette has “struck off” for want of prosecution a drugs matter involving businessman Clyde Ferreira and co-accused Haitian nationals Dantes Alexandre and Sedieu Cean along with Dominicans Evans Paul, Francis Arthurton and Masalino Olive.
They were arrested back in February 2017 after a massive cocaine bust at the Woodbridge Bay Port. It was reported that 34 kilos of cocaine were allegedly seized.
There were several trial dates for the matter but none came to fruition and the court finally fixed Monday, September 24, 2018, as “the final adjournment date” and asked that “all prosecution witnesses be summoned for the trial.”
However, when the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the only prosecution witness present was the investigating police officer.
It was disclosed that none of the other prosecution witnesses were served and hence were absent.
Defense lawyer Cara Shillingford asked the court to “dismiss the matter” since it was a “final adjournment” and the witnesses were absent.
But police prosecutor Sergeant Jeffery James asked the court not to dismiss the matter and requested another final adjournment date.
Magistrate Pacquette was not amused and said he had made certain decisions and had indicated that this was the “final adjournment” for the matter to be tried.
He struck if off for “want of prosecution.”
The cocaine reportedly had a street value of EC$918,000.
All of the accused men were on bail.
But police prosecutor Sergeant Jeffery James asked the court not to dismiss the matter and requested another final adjournment date.
Magistrate Pacquette was not amused and said he had made certain decisions and had indicated that this was the “final adjournment” for the matter to be tried.
He struck if off for “want of prosecution.”
The cocaine reportedly had a street value of EC$918,000.
All of the accused men were on bail.
1. Does police prosecutor Sergeant Jeffery James report to some one higher?
2. Does Magistrate Bernard Pacquette report to someone higher?
3. What will now happen to the EC$918,000 in cocaine the men were to be tried for.
4. Why were the men out on bail instead of in jail, this must have been their first time in the system,
especially for such a crime?
These are just a few of the questions I think of immediately.
dem haitians work well.. POOF! and like that the case was dead
Both the Police and Customs officers need a tongue lashing. it seems like incompetency is rip in Dominica.
Where do we go from there?
How can the police charge someone for a marijuana joint or an once of coke and consciously expect justice? The sysytem is failing Dominicans and no body seem to care. Something is wrong here , and we are not getting the neaty-greety detail in this story.
This country is going completely to the dogs!! This corrupt and incompetent government destroyed everything. But they still love their PM. What a people…
The incompetence of law enforcement on the island is amazing !
Typical product of idle minds !
Hmph. smdh.
I would think that a case such as this with contraband worth almost 1 million dollars in street value would be sent to the High Court…but then again what do I know? I am not a QC or even an SC.
The whole system is corrupt. That is why there is Just Us against the system. The innocent are convicted and the guilty go free.
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All you just seating and just talking foolishness coupled with negativity without due regard to persons’ character, Stop this and say something constructive.
Did you ask yourself – Where were all the Witnesses? Read again “They were arrested back in February 2017 after a massive cocaine bust at the Woodbridge Bay Port. It was reported that 34 kilos of cocaine were allegedly seized.
There were several trial dates for the matter but none came to fruition and the court finally fixed Monday, September 24, 2018, as “the final adjournment date” and asked that “all prosecution witnesses be summoned for the trial.”
However, when the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the only prosecution witness present was the investigating police officer.
I
that is crap….arrested only last year, within a few months there was a major hurricane….
court system still not fully functional….
what want of prosecution ? how many times was the matter called ?
in just over a year including the delays caused by maria ?
cause its a big name he will get a pass on 74 kilos of cocaine
Dominica is really the place where all crime is legal. I don’t care what the laws say. I have watched murderers go free when everyone knows who did it but for some reason the courts can’t prove it. Now you have caught drug dealers ‘red-handed” with 34 kilos of coke valued at $918,000 and not even that you could prosecute. You wonder why Dominica seems to becoming a lawless place, that is the main reason. As a Dominican citizen I know for a fact that if I commit a crime I will get off as long as I can afford an attorney. Anyways to the young men who were caught, I hope your next shipment is twice the size as I know you going to have to make up for this loss of merchandise. BTW don’t worry about the police catching you, if they do, the case will never get to trial.
This is typical of the Skerrit-led regime. The government, the police, the DPP Office, the entire judicial system are in disarray. Criminals walk free, innocent people are targeted and forced to face fictitious charges spending thousands of dollars to retain the services of lawyers. Nothing, absolutely nothing is working satisfactorily in Dominica. National security, healthcare system, economy, judicial system, the government itself , all can be perfectly described as derelict vehicles. The country is precariously teetering on the brink of total collapse. Chase Skerrit and his minions out of government with your votes when the opportunity arises.
Criminals go free but inocennt opposition leaders are brought to court and sooner rather than later will up in Stockfarm. You all mark my words… for a free Dominica it’s 2 minutes to twelve!
Wow wow only in the corrupt land,the accused will get caught somewhere else,smdh.The drugs will continue coming in and destroying our young people.
Is this some kind of joke? I have a couple of questions:
(1) Why wasn’t a lawyer assigned to the case for the prosecution?
(2) Why was this case tried in a magistrate’s court? Shouldn’t a case like be tried in the high court?
(3) Was the prosecution trying to lose this case?
I am not a lawyer, but a curious bystander.
This is a black eye for criminal justice in Dominica. It’s a sham. The same thing happened when even police were not present for a hearing pertaining to the homicide which happened at the Portsmouth police station. So what did we learn and what are we, if ever , going to do about it? Looks like the entire country is corrupt. Say it ain’t so
SMFH. The police management needs to be axed. Dominicans should be outraged and asking for the replacement of the commisioner and deputy right now. The police force seems to be no longer serving the public interest. Yet we see politicians taken to court on trumped up political charges where some appear and others do what they want. I will say again when the bottom dinally drop of everyone will suffer. Dominica is and experiment in stupidity and a man made disaster waiting to happen. All will be affected.
Dominicans outraged? About that? The majority of Dominicans, in particular those red ants are greedy and without morals. The only thing they would be outraged about, if Skerrit would stop feeding them and stopped giving them little gifts. They are rotten to the core.