Tashieka Mair, Star Writer

western bureau

A trial date was set for June 12 when the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court will begin to hear evidence in the case against Marguerite Thompson of Kingston and George Barnes of Lilliput, St. James who is facing drug possession charges.

The two, who are charged with possession of, dealing and attempting to export more that two pounds of cocaine, had their bails extended on Wednesday and will be represented by defence attorney Roy Fairclough at the trial.

Secret compartments

Ms. Thompson was arrested in February after packages of the contraband were found in secret compartments in a suitcase she had checked in to board a flight to Amsterdam from Montego Bay. Her co-accused was arrested after she pointed him out to the police as the person who had given her the suitcase.

The allegations are that on February 1 Ms. Thompson was seen checking in at the AJAS counter to board a Martin Air flight to Amsterdam from the Sangster International Airport. Her co-accused was also seen with a suitcase accompanying her.

She was later stopped and interviewed at the security checkpoint where she told the officer that the suitcase Mr. Barnes was carrying was hers. The suitcase was searched and among items of female clothing a small traveling bag was seen.

That bag was searched and three secret compartments containing five packages each were found. The packages contained white powdery substance resembling cocaine and weighing 2.25 pounds.

When the discovery was made she pointed to Mr. Barnes whom she said had given her the suitcase and bag.

She also gave a statement claiming that the accused man's brother called her from Zurich and told her he would send her a plane ticket so she could visit his family for two weeks. She said that Mr. Barnes offered to buy the suitcase and bag even though she had offered to buy them herself.