Corruption in court offices is suspected as a major drug trial was delayed due to the late receipt of full trial transcripts.
No explanation was ever given as to why the trial transcripts were delayed, nor have any court employees been reprimanded for the failure.
Such failures are often attributed to incompetence, which is rampant in court offices. However, when things like this happen so often, one has to start thinking that perhaps it may be planned.
The case involves four men who are accused of conspiring to smuggle $6 million worth of marijuana into Williams Town, Exuma – with the intent to supply – between September 5 and 30, 2009.
On trial are Selva Rudolph Hudson, 57, of Sisal Avenue; Dion Minnis, 38; David Arlington Colebrooke, 51; and Stephen ‘Die’ Stubbs, 37, of Ridgeland Park.
Stubbs, who was once called the most wanted man in The Bahamas, is the reputed leader of the ‘One Order’ gang from Jamaica. He is also facing unrelated charges of abetment to murder. An additional charge of abetment to murder was suddenly and mysteriously dropped last week by prosecutors.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Carolita Bethell said she did not receive the full transcripts until last Friday, and was therefore only “three-quarters through the extensive transcripts.” The trial is now set to close on Thursday, August 23.
The case has been ongoing for three years and this is not the first time that Magistrate Bethell has postponed the case.
According to testimony, Colebrooke, who was out on bail but is now on the run, had taken a boat into Nassau where police were waiting to arrest him, having used wire tap methods to catch him in the act. Colebrooke was allegedly to meet up with Minnis and Stubbs.
Hudson was arrested in the area of the drugs after police found a GPS (global positioning system), which allegedly had been left in a car by Colebrook after he got off the boat.
The police examined the tracking system and it led them to the drugs — $5,902,000 worth of marijuana. Stubbs, Hudson and Minnis have denied guilt.
