ACCUSED IN CUSTOMS RACKET APPEAR IN COURT

Customs officer Joezine Christian and customs brokers Rowan Matthew and Foster George will return to court for committal proceedings in October after making their first court appearance before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh Wednesday morning.
The trio are facing a joint charge of conspiracy to commit fraud and custom brokers Matthew and George are facing additional charges including Obtaining Money by False Pretences.
The accused, who were arrested last week, received bail Carnival Monday after applying to the High Court.
Defence attorney Wendel Robinson has questioned the police’s procedure in the matter.
He has requested disclosure with specific reference to documents the investigators used to obtain a search warrant, which he said was done after the charges were laid.
The court has given prosecutors until September 2 for disclosure and the next hearing is set for October 5.
The charges were laid as part of a major, long-running probe into an alleged racket in which millions of dollars in government revenue was fleeced from the Customs and Excise Division.