Trial of Bahamians Continues

The trial for two Bahamian men, Kelvin Errol Leach and Rohn Michael Knowles continued today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser after a month-long adjournment.  Leach and Knowles are accused of failing to declare more than ten thousand dollars in cash before they attempted to board a private plane.  The prosecution is now headed by lead attorney, Christelle Wilson, a former Prosecutor from the D.P.P.’s office, who is now hired by the Financial Intelligence Unit. The case ran into a major hurdle today when the integrity of the exhibit was questioned after it came to light that monies, confiscated back in September 2014, were missing from a sealed police package.  Wilson had called her last witness and was expected to close her case this morning and present into evidence, the money which belonged to Leach, totaling six thousand three hundred US dollars along with eleven Belize dollars. But when the package was opened, the eleven Belize dollars were missing. Strangely, it is still not known if any of the US currency is missing.  The missing money put the case in limbo and an adjournment was requested for January sixth.  Godfrey Smith, who is representing the two Bahamians, has been very selective in the questions he has been putting to the witnesses for the prosecution who have taken the stand. Smith has already indicated to the court that at the end of the prosecution’s case, he will submit a no case submission on behalf of his clients. On September twelfth 2014, FIU officials intercepted the men before they could board a plane that was schedule to depart from the P.G.I.A. for the Bahamas.  Authorities say they found over ten thousand dollars in possession of the men which they failed to declare to the F.I.U.