Airline fuel case set for mention December 8
Published:Tuesday | November 10, 2015 | 12:00 AMChristopher Thomas
Western Bureau:
three St James men charged in July for allegedly stealing aviation fuel from Jamaica Aircraft Refuelling Services (JARS) in Montego Bay, St James, had their bails extended when they appeared in court on Tuesday.
Dave Morris, Rayon Downer, and Rhoan Williams are facing charges before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court ranging from breaches of the Larceny Act to receiving stolen property.
The three were arrested and charged on July 24 after the police raided three dwellings and a business place, and evidence allegedly linking the men to the stolen aviation fuel was found. During the raids, $2 million in cash and documents of evidential value were confiscated.
SUSPICIOUS REFUELLING
The matter involving the theft of the aviation fuel first came to the fore on May 10 when a fuel tanker was reportedly seen refuelling at the JARS plant at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. This aroused the suspicion of airport officials as according to the police, the refuellers are only used to service aircraft coming into the airport.
Subsequent to the men's arrests, approximately 4,000 litres of fuel was reportedly found at an undisclosed location.
When the matter was mentioned on Tuesday, Downer's attorney, Don Foote, questioned whether certain items, which had been confiscated from his client, had been returned by the police.
"My client told me he was given an iPod, a computer and a cellular phone, but he has not received cash, which was taken from him," Foote told Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small.
"Not everything is being dealt with by the police. Some of the items are being dealt with by Customs," Wong-Small replied.
The court was also told that an additional witness statement was outstanding from the prosecution's case file.
The case was subsequently set for mention on December 8, at which time a trial date is to be set in the matter.