n 1 July, Magistrate
Haynes Blackman rejected defence objections to the extradition proceedings against
Noel Heath, Glenroy Matthew and Charles Miller. The U.S. Government will begin
presenting evidence on 19 August to support its "Conspiracy to Traffick
in Cocaine" charges. Many sources have identified the three defendants
as high-level drug dealers over a number of years. They have faced charges in
several related cases without being convicted. The case has drawn much attention
on St. Kitts, which has been plagued by drug-related crime in recent years.The three men were arrested on provisional warrants of arrest by local police on May 29. Their vehicles were impounded along with documents and other property in their homes. They were each released on $25,000 bail the following day. Their arrests were immediately turned into a political football by the opposition Peoples Action Movement (PAM) which accused the Labour Government of having strong ties to the defendants. Labour leaders responded by recounting that the drug problem in St. Kitts arose during PAM's 15 years in power and pointed to PAM's impotence at stopping its growth.
At a June 10 hearing the prosecution seemed disorganized, with Attorney General Delano Bart representing the U.S. Government. His presence drew forceful condemnations by defence attorney Dr. Henry Browne who called it "offensive to the Constitution." The prosecution's effort to have bail revoked for "trying to intimidate potential witnesses" was unsuccessful.
When court resumed on June 25 the high-powered defence team, led by Browne and Kenneth Foster, QC from St. Lucia, raised objections to the hearing proceeding. Dr. Browne argued there was no valid treaty in existence between St. Kitts-Nevis and the United States, that the Order to Proceed signed by Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas should have come from the Governor General and that the Provisional Arrest didn't contain sufficient evidence. Retired Barbadian Judge Frederick Smith, QC represented the U.S. Government and responded to the objections.
Court continued all that week, with a heavy police presence around the courthouse. The immediate area was cordoned off from every direction with yellow police ribbon reading "Do Not Cross" and staffed by police. Journalists were prevented from taking photographs in the area and machine gun-armed police were visible. People who wanted to attend the hearing were questioned about "their business with the court." It was unclear what criteria police were using to determine who could enter.
Leaflets have been circulated in Basseterre condemning the United States for seeking to impose its will on little St. Kitts. One included leaked excerpts from sworn testimony in the case. Its reference to the OJ Simpson trial: "Mark Fuhrman did not succeed at home! Should `he' succeed here?" attempted to bring the issue of racism into the controversy. Graffiti reading "DEA Go Home," "FBI Out" and "Take Life" has appeared in various places.
Reading the public response to the whole affair is difficult, but there are at least three reactions: 1) those who believe the defendants are guilty and welcome the assistance of the U.S. to fight drug trafficking, 2) people who support the defendants and 3) those who don't take a position on the guilt of the defendants, but believe that St. Kitts should not cooperate with the U.S. as it tries to act as "world policeman".
