Carlow man on €7m trafficking charge
Naas Courthouse
FOUR people who are allegedly involved in the importation of 175Kgs of cannabis worth in the region of €7m were finally sent for trial last week - six months after they were originally arrested.
Emre Ozdemir (29) of Burrin Street, Carlow; Alex Forsyth (33) of Dunedin Terrace, Monkstown Farm, Dublin; John Weekes (38) of Branswood, Athy; and Alanna Corrigan (29) of Crookstown Upper, Ballitore all appeared in Naas District Court where they were eventually given their respective Books of Evidence after a summer of unexplained delays.
Such was the extent of these delays in finalizing directions from the DPP that Judge Desmond Zaidan was left with no choice but to strike out the charges against the latter three of the four in early September.
The judge had been very critical of the office of the DPP with regard to these delays, which he said was “not good enough”, and had openly toyed with the idea of dismissing all the charges.
Instead, he allowed for the minor loophole of doing so “without prejudice”, spurring the DPP’s office to finally get its public ducks in a row seven weeks later.
All four face a charge of 15a Misuse of Drugs Act (trafficking) relating to the discovery of the €7m worth of cannabis on 1 April at Crookstown Upper, Ballitore.
Despite having no previous convictions, Mr Ozdemir has been kept on remand since this date, a period previously described by his solicitor Tim Kennelly as “unconscionable”.
This week, all four were sent for trial to the present sittings of Naas Circuit Court which began on 6 October.
Mr Ozdemir went forward for trial without a plea being entered at this stage after his book was served and he was returned to custody without being able to make bail.
Mr Forsyth went forward on an assigned plea, that is pleading guilty in the District Court to an indictable offence.
Mr Weekes and Mr Corrigan went forward on bail, a position Mr Corrigan had previously been granted, but for which Mr Weekes required the input of a €35,000 bond from a relative in court this week.
All four were granted legal aid for Senior Counsels to aid in their upcoming trials, while Ozdemir was granted legal aid personally because of the solicitors’ strike, so he may assign this to a solicitor of his choice when it comes time to stand trial.
A first mention for the four in the Naas Circuit Court call-over is expected today, Tuesday 27 October.
