Two men on bail, awaiting documentation from the prosecuting authorities in Grenada, expected by Tuesday, December 10, to justify the men’s extradition to that neighbouring territory, had their proceedings adjourned to February 11, 2020, despite strong objections by their lawyer Grant Connell.
The lawyer declared that the evidence against the men was tenuous, and called on the authorities to have them immediately cleared.
Hyah Browne, an employee of the Central Water and Sewerage Authority, and Anlee Parsons, a labourer, both of Carriere, have been identified as suspects in an armed robbery on the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT) Credit Union office in Carriacou, Grenada on October 11 this year. The robbery is reported to have netted EC$26,208.
Local police had detained the men here on October 25. They were taken before the Serious Offences Court on October 30, and the prosecution made a formal application for warrants of arrest to be issued for the men to be detained, before they were able to leave this Jurisdiction.
The application was granted and the men were remanded until December 10 (Tuesday), by which time the Grenada Prosecuting authorities were expected to submit a formal extradition request for the men.
Attorney Grant Connell filed applications for bail on behalf of the men on November 8.
Sworn affidavits were also filed in which the men showed that they were in St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the time of the alleged robbery and therefore, could not have been in Carriacou.
The bail applications were heard at the Serious Offences Court on November 11, and Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne indicated that she saw and read them as well as the affidavits.
Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpleche made no objection to bail, and Browne granted bail in the sum of $3,000 each with one surety, with reporting conditions, and they were ordered to surrender their travel documents.
When the men returned to Court last Tuesday, as they were scheduled to, Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpleche indicated that Crown Counsel Karim Nelson, who had charge of the case, was engaged in the High Court.
But Connell objected to any further adjournment and requested that the provisional warrants be withdrawn. He noted that the affidavit presented by Sergeant Irackie Huggins of the Narcotics Unit said that documentation by the Grenada Prosecuting authorities would be submitted, but that documentation was not before the Court, and the evidence so far against his clients was tenuous.
Connell argued that Huggins’ affidavit did not provide significant evidence that could anchor the application for provisional warrants.
“The documentation to which Huggins’ affidavit referred is not before the Court nor was it referred to counsel, which is disrespectful to this honourable Court and citizens of this country,” Connell asserted.
He proceeded to declare that the affidavits presented by the defendants, and their applications for bail, justified their immediate release. He noted that the surety amount for bail was far less than the amount allegedly stolen in the reported robbery.
However, Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne contended that Nelson had charge of the matter, and adjourned the proceedings to February 11 next year.