The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A JUDGE yesterday dismissed the constitutional applications of the final three of 11 men against whom Court of Appeal judges upheld an extradition order demanding their surrender to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.

Trevor Roberts, Devroy Moss and Shanto Curry appeared before Justice Vera Watkins concerning the constitutional motion argued by their lawyer, Maurice Glinton, QC, in a formal challenge of the ability of Justice Abdulai Conteh to sit and hear the appeal, on which the court has since made a decision.

However, Justice Watkins ruled yesterday that she did not have the jurisdiction to make a ruling on the same issue that had already been dealt with by the appellate court.

Mr Glinton said his clients would exercise their right to seek leave to appeal the decision.

Mr Glinton was found guilty of contempt by the appellate court concerning his actions in court on this issue and has a pending appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council concerning a series of exchanges between himself and Justices Anita Allen, Conteh and Neville Adderley on September 28, 2015.

These judges, in November, upheld the Magistrate’s Court and Supreme Court’s decision to approve US federal prosecutors’ decade-old request for the extraditions of Melvin Maycock Sr, Wilfred Ferguson, Carl Culmer, Lynden Deal, Brenden Deal, Shanto Curry, Sheldon Moore, Gordon Newbold, Roberts, Curry and Moss.

The appellate court ordered the committal of the accused to the Department of Correctional Services to await handover to the US. Committal proceedings began when they were apprehended in 2008.

Only Roberts, Moss and Curry have yet to be surrendered, however, as they filed the constitutional motion in advance of the appellate court’s decision.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Franklyn Williams appeared for the Crown in these proceedings.