Drug indicted businessman Peter Morgan was further remanded yesterday, when he made another appearance in a Trinidad Magistrate’s court.
Morgan of Oleander Gardens, East Coast Demerara was nabbed at the Piarco International Airport two weeks ago, while in transiting in Port of Spain on a flight from Panama.
The US Government has accused him of three counts of trafficking in narcotics to that country and is seeking his extradition from T&T to New York to face the charges. Trinidad has also accused the Guyanese of being a primary cocaine supplier to St Maarten, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. Morgan has since denied all the charges, but has been refused bail by T&T Chief Magistrate, Sherman McNicholls.
One of his lawyers, Rajiv Persaud, told Stabroek News yesterday that the T&T authorities indicated to the court that they are still awaiting documents from the US to proceed with the extradition hearing. Persaud said the only document the US had supplied to T&T was a provisional arrest warrant, which spelt out the indictments.
Morgan appeared in court on Monday and the matter was adjourned to yesterday at which time his lawyers were expected to make a bail application for his release. However this was not done. His lawyers told the court on Monday that they had received new information concerning the case and asked for time to review it.
Persaud told Stabroek News yesterday that the central legal authority section, which deals with extradition requests, is yet to receive the necessary documents from the US so that a hearing could be held.
Authorities in T&T had indicated to this newspaper that once the extradition starts it could last for about one month.
The Trinidad Government has alleged that between October 2001 and 2003, Morgan trafficked in between 15 kilos and 100 kilos of cocaine to the four countries and the US. Morgan was nabbed on the provisional arrest warrant by US drug agents working with Trinidad authorities at Piarco International Airport, just days after an indictment was unsealed in a New York court charging him with three counts of drug conspiracy.
According to the provisional warrant, between October 1, 2001 and August 31, 2003, Morgan allegedly knowingly and intentionally conspired with David Narine, Susan Narine, Hung Fung Mar and persons unknown to import cocaine. During the same period, Morgan also allegedly imported cocaine into the US.
Guyana’s Attorney-General Doodnauth Singh told reporters last week that Morgan is likely one of the 14 Guyanese the US Government had indicated it wanted to extradite two years ago to face drug trafficking charges.
