Brown extradition trial continues

The extradition case against Andrew and Floyd Brown, wanted in the U.S. on drug related charges, continued today in the court of Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord. The latest development involves the revelation by the prosecutor, Solicitor General Elson Kaseke, that the only witness scheduled to testify to the court, Head of C.I.B., Assistant Superintendent of Police Chester Williams, will in fact not appear. Williams was due to give evidence about recorded telephone conversations between the Browns and their alleged accomplice in the United States. In an attempt to fill the vacuum, the SolGen then asked the Chief Magistrate to allow the testimony of two women, identified as Sheree Gordon and Priscilla Banner. But as agreed to in previous proceedings, Lord maintained that while the prosecution’s case is not closed, only documentary evidence would be accepted from witnesses other than Williams. Defence attorney Dean Barrow agreed to that ruling and the case is scheduled to continue in Belize City tomorrow. The Brown brothers were served with extradition requests in July of this year by federal officials from the state of Florida in connection with the seizure of forty-two pounds of cocaine in Port Everglades in 1999.

In related news, we were informed late this evening that Steven Reneau, detained at Miami Airport on July twenty-second in connection with the same case, has been granted bail in the amount of one hundred thousand U.S. dollars. At news time, we were unable to determine if Reneau had raised sufficient cash to obtain his freedom. The Belizean American businessman maintains residences in both Florida and Belize.