A team of officers from the Central Detective Unit escorted Andre Birbal, 47, into the country after a judge approved his surrender to Bahamian officials to face trial. Following their arrival on a Delta Airlines flight, the officers took Birbal to the Central Detective Unit before they took him to court.
Local police had sought Birbal since March 2009 when he vanished while they investigated complaints made against him by the two underaged boys. He was arrested in New York on a traffic violation in May and local officials requested his extradition.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Carolita Bethell denied Birbal bail because she thought he was a flight risk. Inspector David Lockhart, the prosecutor, said that Birbal, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, had fled the country before and would possibly do so again if granted bail. He pointed out that Birbal was extradited from the United States.
Magistrate Bethell told Birbal that he was unable to choose his court of trial because of an order from the attorney general directing that he face trial in the Supreme Court. Magistrate Bethell will hold a status hearing on April 7 to determine whether prosecutors intend to fast-track the process by eliminating a preliminary inquiry and sending the case to the Supreme Court by a voluntary bill of indictment.
Prosecutors allege that Birbal had sex with one of the boys from January 1, 2000 up to June 2007. He allegedly had sex with the other boy from September 2001 until February 28, 2007.
Birbal did not have a lawyer present at his arraignment. He complained that police had arranged for him to be “marched before a media circus” since his arrival in the country.
Magistrate Bethell told Birbal that his trial would be held as quickly as possible because he does not have bail.
