The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

TRANSCRIPTS are still unavailable to lawyers in the extradition proceedings against five men wanted to face drug trafficking charges in the United States.

A status hearing was held yesterday before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs concerning a challenge to a magistrate’s approval of an extradition request for Austin Knowles, Nathaniel Knowles, Edison Watson, Ian Bethel and Shawn Saunders.

The government gave 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. However, they applied for and were granted bail in 2005.

At a hearing three weeks ago, lawyers Elliot Lockhart, QC, Osman Johnson and Tai Pinder raised concern about not being given the record of the committal proceedings held in Magistrate’s Court.

The judge had adjourned the matter to make inquiries about the transcripts.

However, the judge and lawyers still found themselves without the record in yesterday’s proceedings, which were needed in order to proceed with the habeas corpus applications.

Neil Braithwaite, who appeared for the Attorney General’s Office, said the matter of disclosure may have already been addressed by the London-based Privy Council, but would undertake to see if that was indeed the case.

The case was adjourned to July 3 for a status hearing.