Men on cocaine rap set for Sept 15 trial
Published:Tuesday | July 12, 2016 | 12:00 AMChristopher Thomas
Western Bureau:
The highly anticipated trial of two St James men who were arrested after 66 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found inside the security company service vehicle in which they were travelling on April 20, 2013, is to begin on September 15.
Owen Glaze and Andrew Brown, whose trial had been postponed on several occasions, were given the new date when they made their latest appearance in the St James Parish Court on Tuesday.
During Tuesday's proceedings, presiding magistrate Sandria Wong-Small was informed that attorney-at-law Dionne Maylor would be representing Glaze in the matter, replacing his previous lawyer Martyn Thomas.
"I am new in this matter, and I have been served all the documents. I am advised that September 15 was agreed upon with the counsel for the other defendant (Brown's lawyers are Churchill Neita and Delano Harrison), and it is a convenient date," said Maylor.
Glaze and Brown subsequently had their bails extended.
"Your matter is set for trial on September 15. Your bails are extended until then, and the investigating officer and the witnesses are bound over," Wong-Small told the defendants.
Glaze and Brown were arrested on April 20, 2013, by members of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Task Force, the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division, and the Jamaica Defence Force, following an operation along the Mount Carey main road in St James.
It is alleged that during the police operation, the defendants' vehicle was stopped and searched and a quantity of cocaine, valued at approximately J$264 million, was found.
Glaze and Brown were subsequently charged with possession of, dealing in, taking steps to export, and trafficking cocaine.